Women's Voice

  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Addiction, Insecurity, Stress, Sexual Molestation, Dysfunctional Family, Fear, Racism, Co-dependency, Food Addiction, Nightmares, Trauma, Pain, Confusion, Anger Issues, Illogical Thinking, Parenting, Frustration Post-Partum Depression. Our guest today is the author of newly released book: Only I Can Define Me:  Releasing Shame and Growing Into My Adult Self Dena Sisk Foman. Dena is a practicing attorney, author and speaker. Foman is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness.  She, as a child that survived generations of mental illness and the mother of a child that suffers with bi-polar disorder, gives a much needed voice to families that suffer with mental illness.  It is her goal to educate the public to the plight of mental illness as both a disease that affects individuals and a disease that affects families and communities. You can find out more about her, this amazing book and her work through at www.createspace.com, www.releasingshame.comand www.amazon.com.  An excerpt of the book can be found on Ms. Foman’s website www.releasingshame.com. On her website, Ms. Foman shares stories weekly of people struggling with issues that they deem shameful or stressful in order to help others know they are not alone in their worries.  Ms. Foman is determined to start a social movement towards talking without fear of judgment.

On today’s show we will discuss the issues effecting women with disabilities. We will talk about a wonderful project called Women Enabled led by my amazing colleague Stephanie Ortoleva. Women Enabled is an education and advocacy project developed by Stephanie to bring attention to the urgent need to advocate for the human rights of all women and girls and to include women and girls with disabilities in international resolutions, policies and programs addressing women’s human rights and development. I know we will not be able to fit Stephanie’s remarkable accomplishments to this introduction but here is a really short version of it: Stephanie is an attorney with expertise in international human rights law and U.S. civil rights law. Currently, she is the Senior Human Rights Legal Advisor with the leading international human rights law firm BlueLaw International, LLP. She is the founding Co-Chair of the American Society of International Law’s International Disability Rights Interest Group.  Previously, Ms. Ortoleva served as an Attorney and Human Rights Officer at the U.S. Department of State, where she participated in the negotiations of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, serving on the United States governmental delegation, as well as undertaking extensive work at the United Nations and Organization of American States on international disability rights and on international women’s issues, including women’s role in peace building and post-conflict resolution and gender-based violence.  She was given the prestigious U.S. Department of State Franklin Award in 2009.  She is a frequent speaker at conferences and other events and has numerous publications on women’s rights, disability rights, and multilateral diplomacy. Check out updates on her website at:  www.WomenEnabled.org.

“Courage should not be about gender, but somehow it is” says our guest Judy Pearson. Life takes courage – but what is courage? and how can we learn to use it to our greatest advantage? Judy is the author of two biographies about ordinary people who’ve been extraordinarily courageous. Her most recent book, Wolves at the Door, has been optioned for a major motion picture.  Her current book project, entitled A Different Kind of Courage: How Women Have Expanded and Transformed Bravery in the Modern World, is a tapestry of cutting edge gender brain research, anecdotes of courageous women from all walks of life, and the results of a multinational survey.  It will both celebrate the courage of women and inspire courage in all who read it. She motivates and educates, making her a first class “moti-cator!” And Judy Pearson does it all with energy, humor and her own special flair.  In her workshops, Judy focuses on the different kind of courage women possess, leaving her audiences laughing at her views on life, tearing up at her touching anecdotes about women who have found their own courage, and excited about the potential their courage infused lives might hold.

Our guest, Doc Robyn holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a combined Masters/Doctorate in the psychology of organizations with a concentration in sport and performance. We will discuss conflict resolution and team building among female athletes and teams. As the world of sports opening its doors wider for women, issues of conflict, self-esteem, and healthy communication are coming to forefront in dialogues and discussions. Doc. Robyn will tell us how and why this is important and will give us tips and advice on the subjects. Doc Robyn has incorporated her corporate, academic and athletic (beach volleyball) experience with strategies usually reserved for organizational development and high level executive coaching to create her life changing message for college students. She is the President of Champion Performance Development, the Founder of the Stop The Drama! Campaign and the author of the book Stop The Drama! The ultimate guide to female teams. She is thrilled to 'pay it forward' by sharing her life altering strategies with students, athletes, parents, coaches and faculty. She has spoken to the NCAA Women Coaches Academy, Athletic Trainers, and countless college students.

Pelvic organ prolapse is an international women’s health concern. The impact of POP varies from country to country and region to region; in some areas the need is for education, in some it is for medical intervention. Throughout the world there is a need to establish awareness. Sherrie Palm is the Founder/President of APOPS, Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support Inc, a nonprofit foundation for pelvic organ prolapse support, an award-winning author of the book Pelvic Organ Prolapse: The Silent Epidemic, and the Community Leader of the MedHelp.org Urogynecology Forum. As a women's pelvic floor health advocate, she devotes her time to all avenues of establishing recognition of pelvic organ prolapse and providing support pathways for women in various stages of POP. For relaxation Sherrie enjoys spending time in the woods and meadows of northern Wisconsin, walking with her dogs and taking digital photos of nature. For more info about APOPS or Sherrie Palm, go to  http://www.pelvicorganprolapsesupport.orghttp://www.sherriepalm.com