Story Archives of 'Women'

You don't have to be a social scientist to see that the traditional American family is changing, and motherhood is changing right along with it. More and more women are choosing to have children without partners. The growth of groups like Single Mothers By Choice and the proliferation of books like Choosing Single Motherhood and Knock Yourself Up point to a generation of women who are choosing a new path. Technology, money and often the loud ticking of a biological clock is making single motherhood a good option for some women. Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott talks about this trend with Jean Railla, who wrote about it in the parenting magazine Babble. Her article is called Fatherless Brooklyn: Why Today's Women are Choosing to have Babies Alone.

Obviously, not all single mothers choose to raise their kids on their own, and when very young women -- like teenagers still in high school -- get pregnant, they can face many challenges. An unexpected pregnancy can throw a girl's life into chaos, and these young mothers can usually use all the help they can get. That's where the Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers comes in. Along with the regular high school subjects of English, History and Math, the students at this school also attend parenting classes. Producer Sarah Elzas visited the school and produced this story. Sarah's story was produced with the help of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies.

(Photo by waI.ti:)

NPR contributing senior news analyst Cokie Roberts came to Portsmouth to talk about her new book, "Ladies of Liberty," in the latest installment of our Writers on a New England Stage series. This is the full, unedited version of that event.

What do you get for the woman who has everything? How about a Taser with an MP3 player built-in?

New lines of personal Tasers come in pink, blue and silver, and are about the size of an electric razor. They're a hot new gift item, and Taser parties are beginning to replace the Tupperware parties of more innocent times. A personal Taser can offer a lot of protection to those who brandish it, but critics like Silja Talvi say they cause more problems than they solve. She recently wrote about Tasers for In These Times magazine, and she spoke with us on Word of Mouth.

A traveling art exhibit has stopped at St. Anselm College in Manchester. It's called "Interrupted Life: Incarcerated Women in the United States,” and presents the experience of being a mother in jail.

Most of the work is by professional artists but there are several pieces by inmates themselves, including some in New Hampshire.

NHPR Correspondent Ellen Grimm attended the recent opening at the College's Chapel Art Center and files this report.

For the first time, American voters have a viable female candidate for president.

New York Senator Hillary Clinton has money, political experience, and pedigree.

One might assume for much of the female Democratic base- she's a dream come true.

But New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein reports not all women democrats are ready to jump on the Hillary bandwagon.