The Pain Gap

74. Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell on Black Maternal Mortality, Bias & Why America Is Failing Mothers

Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell is one of the leading voices in maternal health, patient safety, and reproductive justice. Dr. G sits at the intersection of clinical care, public health, and policy, and this conversation is as urgent as it is eye-opening. From Black maternal mortality and medical bias to fibroids, pain dismissal, and the dangerous fragmentation of our healthcare system, she breaks down why so many women, especially Black women, are still not being heard, protected, or believed in America’s healthcare system. We talk about the real-life consequences of systemic bias, what happens when women’s pain is minimized for years, and why maternal healthcare must be treated as a patient safety issue. Dr. G also shares her own deeply personal pregnancy story, what reviewing preventable maternal deaths takes emotionally, and why she believes women need to reclaim their power inside medical settings. This episode is heartbreaking, validating, infuriating, and empowering all at once, and honestly, it’s one every woman should hear. Episode Resources: IG handle: @drveronicawomenshealth [https://www.instagram.com/drveronicawomenshealth/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-gillispie-bell-md-mas-29b3206a [https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-gillispie-bell-md-mas-29b3206a] The Pain Gap [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982177772?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_WW0H5Q9C6DHNRP1YKCNQ] Follow Anushay on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/anushayhossain/?hl=en] To learn more about Anushay Hossain's work, check out Anushay's website [https://anushayhossain.com/] or sign up for her substack [https://anushay.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile]. To continue the conversation, feel free to DM @anushayhossain or email me at thepaingap@gmail.com

73. Jennifer Dunatov on Birth Trauma, Medical Ethics, and the Fight for Justice in Childbirth

Jennifer Dunatov is a healthcare ethicist and birth justice advocate dedicated to exposing the ethical failures embedded within America’s maternal healthcare system. In this powerful episode of The Pain Gap, Jennifer joins Anushay Hossain for an unflinching conversation about birth trauma, informed consent, obstetric violence, and why childbirth remains one of the clearest reflections of systemic injustice in healthcare. Together, they unpack how racism, coercion, fear-based medicine, and the dismissal of women’s pain continue to shape birth experiences across the country, even at the most prestigious hospitals. Jennifer also explains the often misunderstood role of healthcare ethicists, revealing how ethics consults can help protect patient autonomy and slow down harmful, high-pressure decision-making in delivery rooms. The conversation explores emergency C-sections, medical paternalism, the emotional aftermath of traumatic births, and why so many women are left carrying invisible wounds long after childbirth. This episode is a raw, validating, and urgently necessary discussion about dignity, autonomy, and the fight to make maternal healthcare more ethical, humane, and just for every woman. Episode Resources: @jenniferdunatov [https://www.instagram.com/jenniferdunatov/](Instagram) @dr.jenniferdunatov [https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.jenniferdunatov](TikTok) www.jenniferdunatov.com [http://www.jenniferdunatov.com/] (website) The Pain Gap [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982177772?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_WW0H5Q9C6DHNRP1YKCNQ] Follow Anushay on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/anushayhossain/?hl=en] To learn more about Anushay Hossain's work, check out Anushay's website [https://anushayhossain.com/] or sign up for her substack [https://anushay.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile]. To continue the conversation, feel free to DM @anushayhossain or email me at thepaingap@gmail.com

72. Special Episode: One on One with Anushay - Confronting Hate, Racism & the Rise of Authoritarianism with Deeyah Khan

Deeyah Khan was raised in Norway by Pakistani and Afghan parents. Deeyah reflects on growing up feeling caught between worlds and how art, activism, and music became both refuge and resistance. She shares how her early experiences shaped her Emmy and BAFTA-winning work documenting white supremacy, violent extremism, gender-based violence, and the dangerous rise of authoritarian movements around the world. Anushay and Deeyah dive into some of the defining issues of our era: Muslim identity in the West, honor-based violence, white supremacy in America, Christian nationalism, media complicity, immigration, and the global backlash against women’s rights and democracy. Deeyah speaks candidly about embedding herself with neo-Nazis and extremists for her documentaries White Right: Meeting the Enemy and Jihad: A Story of the Others, revealing what she learned about fear, hate, belonging, and the possibility of human connection even in the most divided spaces. Together, they examine how silence enables oppression — and why hope itself can become an act of resistance. At its core, this episode is a conversation about courage: the courage to speak honestly, confront injustice, reject fear, and build solidarity across borders and differences. Deeyah offers a powerful reminder that no one is coming to save us — that meaningful change depends on ordinary people choosing compassion, truth, and action. This is one of The Pain Gap’s most timely, provocative, and unforgettable conversations yet. Episode Resources: Deeyah Khan's Website [https://deeyah.com/] Deeyah Khan's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/deeyahkhan/] The Pain Gap [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982177772?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_WW0H5Q9C6DHNRP1YKCNQ] Follow Anushay on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/anushayhossain/?hl=en] To learn more about Anushay Hossain's work, check out Anushay's website [https://anushayhossain.com/] or sign up for her substack [https://anushay.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile]. To continue the conversation, feel free to DM @anushayhossain or email me at thepaingap@gmail.com

71. From Tradwives to Tech: The Fight for Reproductive Autonomy with Mara Santilli

Mara Santilli is a journalist and researcher asking some of the most urgent and uncomfortable questions about women’s health, power, and who gets to control our bodies. Mara is a leading voice examining the intersection of contraception, culture, and systemic inequality. Her work unpacks everything from the rise of “tradwife” content and anti-birth control rhetoric to the deeply rooted histories of eugenics, coercion, and misinformation that still shape reproductive care today. In this conversation, we get into what’s really driving the resurgence of anti-contraception narratives, how social media is reshaping our understanding of “choice,” and why Mara says we cannot afford to be lied to about birth control. We also talk about data privacy, medical mistrust, and what true reproductive autonomy should actually look like in 2026, because this isn’t just about health. It’s about power, access, and the right to informed choice. If you’ve ever questioned the narratives you’re seeing online or felt like something deeper is going on beneath the surface, this episode will give you language, context, and clarity. Episode Resources: Keep in touch with Mara on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/maracsantilli/], Bluesk [https://bsky.app/profile/maracsantilli.bsky.social]y, LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maracsantilli/], or on maracsantilli.com [http://maracsantilli.com/] The Pain Gap [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982177772?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_WW0H5Q9C6DHNRP1YKCNQ] Follow Anushay on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/anushayhossain/?hl=en] Little Saints [https://littlesaints.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand&utm_term=ags&tw_source=google&tw_adid=695845965046&tw_campaign=21058338863&tw_kwdid=kwd-2271907345383&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21058338863&gbraid=0AAAAABokWWboHCC-pAK7cdDMZrAkNDjk_&gclid=CjwKCAjwhLPOBhBiEiwA8_wJHBUUfMXtXunwLsV0xuvattkntHRhbHbZkmIDOKvOCvqJ7kGAG1hKwRoC9-IQAvD_BwE] To learn more about Anushay Hossain's work, check out Anushay's website [https://anushayhossain.com/] or sign up for her Substack, [https://anushay.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile] where she writes about women's health, politics, and power. To continue the conversation, feel free to DM @anushayhossain or email me at thepaingap@gmail.com

70. Kellie Pean & Alyssa Convertini-Lindquist on Motherhood, Money, and Modern Leadership

We’re joined by Kellie Pean and Alyssa Convertini-Lindquist, co-founders of Brand New: A Collective, a bicoastal, award-winning marketing agency spanning creative, strategy, experiential production, and talent partnerships. But beyond building a powerhouse agency rooted in cultural insight, Kellie and Alyssa are redefining what leadership looks like for women, especially in industries that weren’t built with them in mind. In this conversation, we go far beyond marketing. We get into the realities of being women navigating corporate America, the moment you realize your work is valued differently, and what it takes to advocate for yourself, financially, professionally, and personally. From being talked over in meetings to having their ideas credited to male colleagues, their stories are a powerful reminder of the systemic challenges women still face and of what it takes to walk away and build something better. We also explore the invisible labor women carry, especially in the workplace, where leadership, caregiving, and identity constantly intersect. Kellie and Alyssa open up about motherhood, sacrifice, and the myth of “having it all,” offering an honest look at what it actually takes to lead while navigating the demands of life outside of work. Episode Resources: Connect with Kellie and Alyssa on their Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/brandnewacollective/] Brand New: A Collective [https://www.brandnewacollective.com/about] The Pain Gap [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982177772?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_WW0H5Q9C6DHNRP1YKCNQ] Follow Anushay on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/anushayhossain/?hl=en] Little Saints [https://littlesaints.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand&utm_term=ags&tw_source=google&tw_adid=695845965046&tw_campaign=21058338863&tw_kwdid=kwd-2271907345383&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21058338863&gbraid=0AAAAABokWWboHCC-pAK7cdDMZrAkNDjk_&gclid=CjwKCAjwhLPOBhBiEiwA8_wJHBUUfMXtXunwLsV0xuvattkntHRhbHbZkmIDOKvOCvqJ7kGAG1hKwRoC9-IQAvD_BwE] To learn more about Anushay Hossain's work, check out Anushay's website [https://anushayhossain.com/] or sign up for her Substack, [https://anushay.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile] where she writes about women's health, politics, and power. To continue the conversation, feel free to DM @anushayhossain or email me at thepaingap@gmail.com