By Susan Barnett
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-988228.mp3
Albany, NY – This summer, the Wall Street Journal did an article on the pioneer women of rock and roll. There may be plenty of women in music these days - but the way was paved by women who had to demonstrate they deserved their place in the spotlight. The first girl group that got signed to a major label was Goldie and the Gingerbreads back in the early sixties. The lead singer, known then as Goldie, was Genya Ravan, who went on to front Ten Wheel Drive, had a solo career, became a producer and now hosts two music shows on the radio.
8:34 Genya Ravan
Genya Ravan is a singer, producer, songwriter and radio show host.
By every measure, the West African country of Liberia is one of the world's worst places to be a woman. In the aftermath of a brutal civil war, women have limited access to medical care, jobs and education. Rape is so common many women don't even know it's a crime. Most women raise children on their own on less than a dollar-a-day. But, in one part of the country, women have made progress - thanks to Liberian Hannah Slocum. Ma Hannah, as she's affectionately known, has made it her life's work to help lift Liberia out of poverty, one woman at a time. Prue Clarke reports.
7:32 Hannah Slocum PRX
And finally, it's hard to imagine the wilderness the first settlers found when they came to America. Without the help of the Native Americans, who knew the land, this country's history would be very different. Gilles Malkine profiles a woman whose role may have been exaggerated, and yet whose fortitude is unquestionable.
4:02 Sacajawea Malkine
Gilles Malkine is a writer and musician. He lives in New York.