Hello, Happy Thanksgiving! There are 53 days left until Inauguration Day, and today we’re talking about mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, and even the woman at the bakery who sold us pumpkin pie.

As you already know, President-elect Donald Trump has promised to protect women, whether they like it or not. But since the election, some women feel less safe, not more.

Like every man and woman who did not vote for Trump, there was a sense of uncertainty, and certainly fear, about what rights the incoming administration might attack. Is that what’s left of abortion rights? contraception? Equal Pay Protection or Health Care Rights?Title IX Protection Against Sexual Assault?

A lot is at stake, especially for women.

I recently had the opportunity to interview California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom at the 2nd Annual Gender Equality Summit in Sacramento. The summit focused on the intersection of health and safety and how to lead in uncertain times.

This is our conversation, edited for length and clarity.

This holiday was no different, reminding us that community and solidarity are always the best refuge from fear.

Cabria: Why did you choose to focus on health and safety this year, and how has that changed with the recent election of President Donald Trump?

Siebel Newsome: Our health and safety is everything.

Aside from not having the same wealth or power or access to power, I think that’s literally what’s holding us all back from reaching our potential. And we don’t talk enough about women’s health.

When you think about the medical field, so many studies ignore women’s health. Medications are prescribed based on research on men and tailored to the male body.

And I think we’ve made the culture of violence against women invisible and normalized it. And Trump’s re-election to the White House highlights how invisible the suffering and pain of women in our country is. So it’s time to fix the ship.

For me personally, as well as all my work; “Miss representative” And my documentary — Beyond women’s access to capital, women’s low wages and the wealth gap, the real issue that needs to be addressed is the issue of violence against women in all its forms.

And until we actually address this issue and acknowledge it and center women’s physical and physiological health as part of public safety, we will continue to live in a patriarchal society. Probably. Even there, our voices are not reflected in the places of power. Because we are suffering, our children and communities are also suffering.

Cabria: I know this is not an abstract idea to you. You had to travel on your own and ensure your own safety.

Can you tell us a little about a moment in your life where health and safety intersected?

Siebel Newsome: You see, we all have our own journeys. We all have experiences that ultimately prevent us from achieving our dreams and realizing our potential.

My story began when I was 6 years old, a few days after my 7th birthday. I lost my sister in an accident [golf cart] accident Where I felt like it was my fault.

And in typical Scandinavian fashion, we may have been to a therapist or psychologist at least once. My sister was my best friend, but that was just my 6-year-old mind. Stacey was 8 years old.

My mother became pregnant and gave birth to two more children. We just kept moving forward. I suffered in silence.

There were other women in the community who were like mothers and sisters to me. That’s why sisterhood is so important to me. Because they healed me. They guided me, empowered me, and believed in me.

Anyway, everyone deals with trauma differently, and I think that’s why I chose to help people. I tried to become a doctor. I had received medical care beforehand.

I worked at a children’s hospital in Quito, Ecuador, and every time I saw blood I would faint. I was a terrible doctor.

So I found my own way to try to help women in a different way.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom campaigned in San Leandro in 2021 during the failed recall effort of her husband, California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

(David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Cabria: You’ve said you want California to be a “shining lighthouse on a hill” for women. What is California’s vision?

Siebel Newsome: Of course, I want California to be a state where women are safe, women can grow their wealth, and women can grow physically, mentally, and emotionally. A place where women are seen, a place where women are valued, a place where we are respected. Where we are in leadership, where we are in positions of power, where we represent our people and our diversity.

However, gender, or gender perception, is not considered in all public policy decisions. Thanks to the current administration, that’s even more so. But that’s one of the reasons we have this gathering, and last year we had the Women’s Wealth and Power Summit, and we continue to do so in small group groups so that real activation, partnership, and activism happens. It is scheduled to be held at Then to try to influence public policy and institutionalize our values ​​before we leave.

Our attempt is to fundamentally correct this injustice and wrong that we see throughout our society. Ultimately, again, if we respect women and center women, they will center women. We paid women fairly. We would have a completely different society if we had zero tolerance for harassment and violence against women.

Cabria: You lost that security as a child. How have you reinvented your own safety, and how do you hope to incorporate that into the work you do for others?

Siebel Newsome: I felt safe in the activity.

I have been building safety through art through the creation of expressive projects.

I build security through friendships, girlfriends, and sisterhood. I am thankful for the women I work with, my best friends, and the sisters and women who surround me every day. That gives me peace of mind.

My husband gives me a sense of security apart from his job.

Children, animals, if anyone wonders why there are so many animals.

But in reality, it’s just the basics: food, nutrition, fresh air, and nature.

That’s why, In my current documentary, We are addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence against women as a new backlash against women’s progress, women’s mental health, and women’s agency.

Honestly, this is why women with so many children are withdrawing from politics.

You know, we were poisoned.

A man with a gun lived in a camper outside my home in Sacramento for five weeks, and no one could do anything.

When something like this happens, our sense of safety and trust is once again lost, and we no longer have the confidence or will to put ourselves out there or even take up a very dangerous job. .

And for women, politics is increasingly dangerous.

I wanted to gain the support of other women, which is also why my own experience in going to court against a man who shall not be named was important to me. [Siebel Newsom testified against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein during his Los Angeles rape trial.]

And I wasn’t going to put myself out there.

But they thought it might be useful. I don’t know if that happened. Because they used the fact that I am married to a public figure to work against me in that area. But they feel like they can say and do anything to me, and I think they treat all women that way, as we know. .

And that’s why I advocate for issues like sex trafficking. Because, again, if we take a step back, we live in a culture that degrades, ridicules, belittles, and objectifies women and girls.

We are often perceived as the property of men. This election in particular has unleashed a virulent misogyny that is extremely vile, brutal, patriarchal and extremely harmful to all marginalized communities, all vulnerable communities, especially women and girls. It’s like.

So, my main concern is safety. If I feel weak, it’s because you all feel weak as well.

Without that sense of security, how can we realize our potential and dreams?

So it’s essential for your ability to grow.

What else to read:

Must read: Joe Biden’s final decision will be his toughest and most personal
Next up: DOGE-era power players on Capitol Hill
LA Times Feature: California farmers were big supporters of Trump. Conflicts possible over deportation of immigrants

Stay golden,
Anita Chhabria

PS: I’ll be out again next Tuesday and Thursday to finish the project, but I’ll tell you more about it closer to publication. Thank you for reading patiently. See you on December 10th.

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