The Audacity Tapes™

Episode Summary
Four years after the fall of Roe v. Wade, many of the consequences experts warned about are no longer theoretical, they are being lived every day.
In this episode, I sit down with reproductive health advocates and public health experts Pari and Eve, two of the most recognized online voices helping women navigate an increasingly complex reproductive healthcare landscape.
Together, we unpack what many people still misunderstand about the post-Roe era, the collision between medicine and politics, the emotional truths women are carrying, and what this moment is teaching us about power, autonomy, and self-trust.
We also talk about why both of them continue to speak out despite criticism, threats, and backlash—and why they believe women are awakening to their collective power in ways that give them hope.
At its core, this conversation asks a deeper question:
What happens when bodily autonomy itself becomes contested—and what does that mean for equality, democracy, and human rights?
This episode includes discussion of abortion, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, maternal mortality, sexual assault, and reproductive healthcare.
In this episode:
Why the impact of Roe v. Wade extends far beyond abortion access
The hidden consequences many experts warned about—but few people anticipated
How fear, confusion, and legal uncertainty are affecting patients and providers alike
The emotional truths women are carrying that the broader culture still isn't fully seeing
What life looks like for women living in states with vastly different levels of reproductive healthcare access
Why self-advocacy and bodily autonomy matter more than ever
What today's political climate is teaching an entire generation of women about power
The personal cost of speaking out—and why Pari and Eve continue to do so
Why community itself may be one of the most powerful forms of resistance
The role of community, activism, and collective power
Why Pari and Eve believe women are far from done fighting
Key Moments
00:00 – Introduction
01:00 – What Changed After Roe
11:00 – What This Moment Is Teaching Women About Power
16:20 – When Laws and Medicine Collide
27:00 – The World Today's Daughters Are Inheriting
29:15 – Why Pari and Eve Began This Work
38:35 – The Truths Women Are Carrying
47:40 – Self-Advocacy and Trusting Yourself
57:30 – Human Rights Should Not Be a Luxury
About Pari & Eve
Pari and Eve are public health experts, healthcare professionals, and reproductive rights advocates. Through their Women in America platforms, they have built a community of millions and become trusted voices for women seeking accurate information, practical resources, and a deeper understanding of the issues shaping reproductive health and bodily autonomy.
Known for their educational content and outspoken advocacy, they continue to empower women while speaking out on some of the most contentious issues facing the country today.
Connect with Pari & Eve
Instagram: @women_in_america
Facebook: Women in America
TikTok: @womeninamerica
Substack: Women in America
Continue the Conversation
The thinking continues beyond the mic. Explore essays, reflections, and extended conversations on Substack:
https://substack.com/@robbinjorgensen
Connect with Robbin Jorgensen:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbinjorgensen/
Supporting Sponsor
As a woman navigating financial decisions — especially when the system wasn’t built with you in mind — having the right partner matters.
For three decades, Godfrey Financial has intentionally centered women in financial decision-making — not as an afterthought, but as leaders.
In a field where women are often expected to sit to the side, Godfrey Financial places women at the head of the table — creating space where women don’t just discuss confidence and agency, but experience it in practice.
Learn more at:https://godfreyfinancial.com
 

Episode Summary
Before the headlines, before the Taliban, before decades of war, there was another Afghanistan.
In this extraordinary conversation, two generations of Afghan women come together to tell the story of what has been lost, what has endured, and why the struggle for human dignity in Afghanistan is ultimately a test of our shared humanity.
Dr. Sima Samar—physician, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, former Vice President of Afghanistan, former Minister of Women's Affairs, and founder of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission—joins Afghan journalist and advocate Makhfi Azizi for a deeply personal and unflinching conversation about the past, present, and future of their country.
Together, they take listeners inside the reality facing women and girls under Taliban rule, where more than 150 edicts have stripped away fundamental freedoms and where even the sound of a woman's voice has become a battleground.
They explain why the Taliban does not represent either Afghan culture or Islam, why both women believe the world must recognize what is happening as gender apartheid, and why the failure to name injustice has consequences.
The conversation also explores the devastating events of 2021and why the fight for the women of Afghanistan is not simply an Afghan issue. It is a human issue.
In this episode:
The Afghanistan both women remember before decades of war and extremism
What the world continues to misunderstand about Afghan culture, religion, and identity
The personal cost of speaking out and defending human rights
How Dr. Samar introduced the concept of human rights to communities across Afghanistan
The reality of living under more than 150 Taliban edicts targeting women and girls
Why both women believe the world must recognize gender apartheid
What Afghanistan lost in 2021—and the dreams that disappeared with it
Why Dr. Samar says peace is more than the absence of war
The collective failure of Afghanistan and the international community
What history must remember about the women of Afghanistan
Key Moments
00:00 | Two Generations, One Fight
06:09 | What the World Gets Wrong About Afghanistan
12:15 | The Cost of Being Outspoken
23:59 | Life Under More Than 150 Edicts
36:34 | Why Naming Gender Apartheid Matters
40:56 | What Afghanistan Lost in 2021
46:13 | The World's Tolerance of Injustice
50:15 | Peace Is More Than the Absence of War
55:52 | What History Must Remember
About Dr. Sima Samar
Dr. Sima Samar is a physician, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and one of the world's leading human rights advocates. She served as the former Vice President of Afghanistan and Minister of Women's Affairs and was a founder and longtime chair of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
For decades, Dr. Samar has championed girls' education, women's rights, and human dignity, establishing schools, hospitals, and institutions that have transformed countless lives. She is the author of Outspoken: My Fight for Freedom and Human Rights in Afghanistan.
About Makhfi Azizi
Makhfi Azizi is an Afghan journalist and advocate whose work focuses on documenting the experiences of Afghan women and girls and mobilizing international support for accountability and human rights. Through her writing and advocacy, she remains deeply connected to women inside Afghanistan and has emerged as a leading voice in the global movement to recognize gender apartheid.
Resources & Links
Outspoken: My Fight for Freedom and Human Rights in Afghanistan by Dr. Sima Samarhttps://www.amazon.com/Outspoken-Fight-Freedom-Rights-Afghanistan/dp/1039007074Stop Gender Apartheid Campaignhttps://stopgenderapartheid.org/
Articles and writings by Makhfi Azizihttps://feministmajority.org/author/mazizi/
Continue the Conversation
The thinking continues beyond the mic. Explore essays, reflections, and extended conversations on Substack:
https://substack.com/@robbinjorgensen
Connect with Robbin Jorgensen:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbinjorgensen/
Supporting Sponsor
As a woman navigating financial decisions — especially when the system wasn’t built with you in mind — having the right partner matters.
For three decades, Godfrey Financial has intentionally centered women in financial decision-making — not as an afterthought, but as leaders.
In a field where women are often expected to sit to the side, Godfrey Financial places women at the head of the table — creating space where women don’t just discuss confidence and agency, but experience it in practice.
Learn more at:https://godfreyfinancial.com
 

Episode Summary
When Mary Maker fled South Sudan as a child, she carried little more than memories, trauma, and the hope of survival.
Today, she is a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, TEDx speaker, education activist, and co-founder of Elimisha Kakuma, a university preparation program helping refugee students access higher education around the world.
In this powerful conversation, Mary shares her journey from escaping civil war and growing up in Kakuma Refugee Camp to studying in the United States and advocating globally for refugee education.
Along the way, she challenges us to rethink what it means to be displaced, what opportunity truly looks like, and why refugees must have a seat at the table when decisions about their futures are made.
This episode is a story of resilience, belonging, education, and the extraordinary ripple effect that can happen when someone invests in human potential.
We Discuss:
• Fleeing South Sudan as a child and the realities of life during war• Growing up in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya• The role education played in transforming her future• The cultural challenges of arriving in the United States• Founding Elimisha Kakuma to help refugee students access university opportunities• Why refugee voices must be included in global policy and humanitarian discussions• How individuals and organizations can support displaced communities
Mary's story is a powerful reminder that talent is universal, but opportunity is not.
Key Moments
01:24 – Escaping South Sudan: Mary's earliest memories of war, loss, and fleeing home
05:33 – Arriving in Kakuma Refugee Camp and discovering what it means to live in limbo
07:03 – How education became a lifeline and changed the trajectory of her future
14:10 – Becoming a teacher in the refugee camp and confronting the limits of opportunity
17:10 – The scholarship opportunity that took her from Kakuma to Rwanda and eventually the United States
22:37 – Navigating culture shock, college life, and belonging in America
27:30 – Founding Elimisha Kakuma to help refugee students access higher education
37:06 – Why partnerships and advocacy are critical to expanding refugee education worldwide
48:40 – Mary's challenge to institutions: Stop building solutions for refugees without refugees at the table
About Mary MakerMary Maker is an educator, speaker, and refugee education advocate. A graduate of St. Olaf College, she works to expand educational opportunity for displaced youth and elevate refugee leadership in conversations shaping the future of global education.
Connect with Mary Maker:
https://marymaker.org/
https://www.elimishakakuma.org/
https://www.unhcr.org/us/prominent-supporters/mary-maker
https://www.instagram.com/marymaker_43/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-maker/
https://www.ted.com/talks/mary_maker_why_i_fight_for_the_education_of_refugee_girls_like_me?language=en&delay=30s&subtitle=en
Continue the Conversation
The thinking continues beyond the mic. Explore essays, reflections, and extended conversations on Substack:https://substack.com/@robbinjorgensenConnect with Robbin Jorgensen:https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbinjorgensen/Supporting Sponsor
As a woman navigating financial decisions — especially when the system wasn’t built with you in mind — having the right partner matters.
For three decades, Godfrey Financial has intentionally centered women in financial decision-making — not as an afterthought, but as leaders.
In a field where women are often expected to sit to the side, Godfrey Financial places women at the head of the table — creating space where women don’t just discuss confidence and agency, but experience it in practice.
Learn more at:https://godfreyfinancial.com
 

Episode Summary
What happens when proving people wrong becomes the driving force behind your life?
In this episode of The Audacity Tapes, Dr. Shai Butler shares a deeply honest conversation about survival, achievement, addiction, healing, and the lifelong journey of becoming.
At 14 years old, Shai became a mother and quickly discovered that the world had already begun making assumptions about who she would become. Growing up in public housing, navigating stigma, shame, and the weight of other people's expectations, she refused to accept the limitations placed upon her. What followed was a decades-long pursuit of education, leadership, and success that ultimately led her to earn a doctorate and rise to executive leadership roles in higher education.
But this conversation is about far more than overcoming adversity.
Together, we explore what happens when achievement becomes a way to negotiate your worth with the world, the hidden costs of disassociating from pain in order to survive, and why success alone cannot heal the wounds we carry beneath the surface.
Shai speaks candidly about the lessons she learned while rebuilding her life more than once. Most importantly, she reflects on what healing gave her that achievement never could.
This is a conversation about defiance, self-discovery, and the courage to believe your story is not finished, even when others have already decided how it ends.
We Discuss:
● Becoming a mother at 14 and navigating the stigma that followed● Growing up in public housing and overcoming assumptions about her future● Achievement as proof, validation, and self-protection● The emotional cost of disassociation and survival mode● Addiction, grief, and learning to ask for help● Why high-achieving women often hide pain inside productivity● The difference between success and healing● Letting go of perfection and learning to simply be● Redefining self-worth beyond accomplishment and external validation● Why your circumstances do not determine your destiny
Key Moments
00:00 — Opening introduction
01:27 — The predictions that followed teen motherhood
09:33 — Internalizing shame and proving people wrong
15:09 — Ambition, defiance, and the drive to achieve
21:51 — When success became proof instead of fulfillment
27:55 — Addiction, grief, and losing herself
32:04 — Hiding pain inside productivity
36:40 — Learning how to heal instead of achieve
43:18 — Why your story is never fully decided
About Dr. Shai Butler
Dr. Shai Butler is the Vice President for Student Life at SUNY Delhi, an executive coach, speaker, author, and higher education leader dedicated to helping individuals and organizations thrive through authenticity, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership.
She is the author of Better. Not Perfect: From Hot Mess to Life Success, a candid memoir chronicling her journey through teen motherhood, addiction, recovery, leadership, and personal transformation. Through her speaking, coaching, and leadership work, Dr. Butler helps others navigate change, embrace growth, and redefine success on their own terms.
Connect with Dr. Shai
https://www.drshaibutler.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drshai/
https://www.strathergies.com/
Better. Not Perfect: From Hot Mess To Life Successhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVTM59F1
Continue the Conversation
The thinking continues beyond the mic. Explore essays, reflections, and extended conversations on Substack:https://substack.com/@robbinjorgensenConnect with Robbin Jorgensen:https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbinjorgensen/Supporting Sponsor
As a woman navigating financial decisions — especially when the system wasn’t built with you in mind — having the right partner matters.
For three decades, Godfrey Financial has intentionally centered women in financial decision-making — not as an afterthought, but as leaders.
In a field where women are often expected to sit to the side, Godfrey Financial places women at the head of the table — creating space where women don’t just discuss confidence and agency, but experience it in practice.
Learn more at:https://godfreyfinancial.com