In 2012, at the age of 19, Oksana Kononets  suffered an injury to the C5-6 vertebrae as a result of a fall from a 5th floor, which left her paralyzed. Oksana refused to let her disability stop her and stubbornly pushed on. Through months of rehabilitation, she learned to adapt herself in many ways. It was then, that she realized that, despite her disability, she is a complete and self-sufficient person; which gave her the strength to move on. Okasa’s disability is not an obstacle to fulfilling her dreams. She returned to and graduated from university twice, she created a beauty blog to inspire other girls like her with weak hands, and, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a model.  Able to escape shortly after the war began in Ukraine, Oksana and her mother are now safely in the United States.

What you will hear

• Ukraine
• What life was like in Ukraine before the war.
• Oksana’s injury and surgery.
• What life in Ukraine is like with a disability.
• Ms. Wheelchair World Pageant.
• The need for better infrastructure in Ukraine.
• Oksana’s journey from Ukraine in late early March.
• Runway of Dreams.
• Impact of COVID for people with disabilities in Ukraine.
• What is the most powerful action the world can take to show support and solidarity for the people of Ukraine.
• Non-profit organizations
• 
  
•  Messages of Hope

As part of her seven-part print and podcast series for Women’s eNews, “How Would the ERA Impact Our Daily Lives?” journalist Rachel Leventhal interviews constitutional scholar and Academic Advisor to The ERA Project at Columbia Law School, Professor Julie Suk, about the structural impediments that were built-in to the US Constitution that keep women (along with other marginalized groups) from changing the Constitution in a way that would enable greater equality and more democracy. But even in the face of all these structural roadblocks, women have navigated nimbly, increased their political power, and continue to make significant gains.

ABOUT THE SERIES: “How Would the ERA Impact Our Daily Lives?”

A few months ago, journalist Rachel Leventhal had a conversation with three young women of color about gender equality and the Equal Rights Amendment. It was one of those conversations that yielded more questions than answers, namely: Why don’t women already have constitutional equality, and what would it really mean if we did? In this series, through interviews with lawyers, scholars, activists, and the young women themselves, Rachel sets out to uncover answers to the question many of us have: “How Would the ERA Impact Our Daily Lives?” Hoping to keep her young friends empowered and engaged in the face of rollbacks and uncertainty, this print and podcast series is her “love letter” to them.

The interviews for this series took place January, 2022, at the ERA's two-year ratification anniversary, the date it met all the constitutional requirements to become the law of the land.

SHOUT OUT TO OUR FUNDING PARTNER

This series was created with generous support from the Sy Syms Journalistic Excellence Program of the Sy Syms Foundation: https://sysymsfoundation.org/

WHERE TO FIND THE REST OF THE SERIES

Read the print series on Women's eNews:

https://womensenews.org/2022/03/how-w...

Other video interviews for this series:

Interview with Kimberly Peeler-Allen, Board Chair of the ERA Coalition - https://youtu.be/G9GqL4Mp1PE

ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INTERVIEW

Professor Julie Suk

https://juliecsuk.com

"We The Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment," by Julie Suk

The Sy Syms Journalistic Excellence Program at Women’s eNews welcomes Kimberly Peeler-Allen as she joins journalist, Rachel Leventhal, to discuss the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) Coalition and its mission.  Kimberly is the Co-founder of Higher Heights, a national organization building the political power and leadership of Black women from the voting booth to elected office.In 2018, Kimberly served as the Co-Executive Director of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Transition Committee. A highly skilled political fundraiser and event planner, Kimberly was the principal of Peeler-Allen Consulting, LLC from 2003 to 2014, the only African American full-time fundraising consulting firm in New York State. Kimberly serves also serves as Co-Chair of Higher Heights for America PAC, and is a Board Director of NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation. She is currently a Visiting Practitioner at The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. 

What you will hear

• What is the ERA Coalition and how Kimberly got involved.
• Wage inequity and equal protection under the law.
• Men’s rights vs women’s rights.
• Revamping the narrative and ensuring that all voices are heard.
• Recognizing the harm that is happening in the most marginalized communities
• The history of the Equal Rights Amendment.
• The purpose and goal of the ERA Coalition.

Quotes

“It is important for us to all play a role in revamping the narrative and saying we’re going to take our place in this movement.”

“To be fully seen as full citizens you need the right to vote and you need equal protection.”

“Many hands make light work.”

Mentioned

ERA Coalition

Women’s eNews