To communicate online. So im happy to be in my neighbourhood. Im still now hyper conscious of how great it is to be here. So, gloria, were sitting here, its 2023, almost 50 years after you founded the womens action alliance, which was a group that helped women fight sexism in the us. How do you feel about where the Feminist Movement is today . I feel proud of the amount of invention and rebellion and humourand. She chuckles. Community among us. At the same time, im living in a country where a female human being has never been president , when that could and should have happened long ago. So i feel proud of the movement but aware of how much it takes for a Movement Really to succeed, whether its the civil Rights Movement, the gay and lesbian and transgender movement, the womens movement, i mean, and all these movements are connected. When you want to measure progress, when it comes to womens rights, what are the key markers that you look for to say, ok, weve moved forward, not backward . Some are simple, like how many women turn out to vote . And actually more women than men now do turn out to vote. Some are more top down, like whos in the white house and who isnt. And some are very domestic. Who is raising the children . Who is making dinner . Who is doing the dishes . Thats crucial. And so based on all of that, do you think that there has been progress here . Yes. No, no, no, there has been progress, just not enough. Right . Not enough, definitely. So what kind of change. And you hope to see accomplished in your lifetime . Well, the most obvious and simplest is that we can determine the fate of our own physical selves, so we can decide whether and when to have children, not to have children. You know, whatever it is about our physical selves because thats where our difficulty begins, because we happen to have wombs. And the desire to control wombs is very central to authoritarian systems. So, you know, its clear that controlling reproduction is crucial. Yet when we talk about politics, we dont usually start there. Lets talk about gen z, the generation z. Their oldest are entering their 20s, some of them are still in their teenage years. When you look at their kind of activism, how much does it differ from your kind of activism and when you started . Would you do anything differently now . Well, of course, we have online communication, and that is a huge, huge difference. I mean, we were still mimeographing and phoning each other, you know. I actually wish we could continue that and have a big satellite in the sky that we control. But would you do anything differently today . Get inspiration. Do you get any inspiration from the gen z and what theyre doing at the moment . Oh, yes. No, absolutely. Tell me about that. Well, a movement is inspired by people moving, you know, so that younger women have the courage to dress as they wish, resist adjectives, not have children or have children with or without marriage. Thats all a step forward. What do you think about actually using the internet and online as a space for activism . Or do you still believe that things happen when you go on the streets and march . Weve added the internet to our various forms of communication, and we need to use them all. The problem with the internet is that its discriminatory because not everyone can afford to have a computer or understands the technology or knows how to express themselves on the web, and thats worrisome. And it does make it somewhat worse since, just from an education or access Point Of View, probably men have more access to technology than women do. Clearly, you can get the notice out of the call for a demonstration or whatever it is, much faster. But nothing replaces the two of us talking to each other, you know, absorbing meaning with all five senses, not just with something we say on the screen. And the Screen Version is discriminatory economically because, how many people have a computer . I mean, if you look at the google offices map of the world and the lines going out, you know, where theres communication, there are big dark areas. Yeah. Its very discriminatory. So nothing but nothing replaces the all five senses experience of being together, of more complete media. And actually its physical. I mean, we cant empathise in the same way online or on paper as we can. In person. In person. Another thing that nowadays everybody� s talking about is cancel culture. You know, there is this fear of speaking up, especially among the Younger Generation. What do you think of that . Do you actually think that this is compromising the Freedom Of Speech of the Younger Generation . You know, i dont feel it myself, but i resent it on behalf of anybody who does feel it, because free speech is crucial to any democracy. We should not submit to cancel culture. Its social pressure as censorship, and its definitely not a good thing. Even when it is suppressing evidence of bias, it still is silencing people. 0nline we are seeing the rise of different personalities like andrew tate, one of them, i dont know if youve heard of him, and hes been criticised a lot for his treatment of women online, actually. Why do you think there is this rise in this kind of sentiment against women and womens Rights Movement these days . Well, you know, we, you and i have grown up in some form of patriarchy. Yeah. That says that even in the family, women are more responsible for taking care of infants and small children than men are, even though men are parents, too. So thats where a lack of democracy begins. And thats the beginning of change that we all can make. We shouldnt feel helpless just because were not changing something globally. Where the idea of domination and a lack of democracy begins is in the family. And its even more important and even more the cause of Future Conflict to grow up with that, with making discrimination and domination 0k, than National Policies are. So do you think that it is part of feminisms role or mission, should be part of Feminist Movement missions, to actually help men also navigate in this world that is very different from 50 years ago and all of those gender roles are changing . Do you think that should be part of the Feminist Movement goals as well . Well, we need to be honest and say what were thinking. I mean, men cant read our minds, but it is not our responsibility to make their revolution and their dinner, imean. Good point. There are people who actually think that feminism is bad. And online now, because a lot of people have their own platforms, they talk about it very openly. What is your strategy to actually convince these kind of people with these views that, actually, feminism is beneficial for everyone . Well, it may not be beneficial for. Everyone. For somebody who is using. Masculinity to dominate. Thats like using being white to dominate people of colour. Its not right. Its not a good thing. And we have to be honest about it. You know, wherever we encounter bias, its important to name it, to contend with it, to find people who share this anger and outrage and do something about it. Theres no hierarchy of suffering. Today when you look at Feminist Movement here, for instance, is there anything that you think the Feminist Movement is doing wrong . I wouldnt say that were doing it wrong, but there are some things that we dont emphasise enough. For instance, if we are working on some evidence of discrimination, then we who are working represent everybody who experiences it. And if were only white or only. We� re restricted in some way, it probably would be helpful and we would be more effective and we would have more fun and learn more if we included everybody whos affected by that particular thing. And fun is also very important in movements. Yes, absolutely. Now, you know, laughing is the one Human Emotion that cant be compelled. Mm. You can make somebody cry or fear. You can even make somebody think theyre in love if theyre dependent for long enough, right . But you cant force somebody to laugh. And thats why in cherokee culture, for instance, there is a god of laughter. The idea is that Laughter Breaks into the unknown. And, therefore, if you cant laugh, you cant pray. I really want to get your Point Of View on this. What do you think. . Maybe. I dont want you to speak on behalf of all women in the world, but what do you feel is one of the most urgent things and challenges for womens rights at the moment . Clearly, because we have a womb and men dont, the desire to control the womb. Is often the first or most lethal or most impactful kind of effort. Even when hitler was elected, and he was elected, the first thing he did the very next day was to padlock all the Family Planning clinics and declare abortion a crime against the state. Yet we dont necessarily say that when we discuss fascism. So the autonomy of female body is the most pressing . Well, its. The reason for our restriction is basically that we have wombs. And so that is often the central way we feel restriction. So do you think the reversal of roe v wade lastjune. Well, some people, a lot of women supported it, a lot of women opposed it. What do you think the impact of this ruling will be on women in other parts of the world . Its not for me to say, except to continue to support reproductive freedom, the ability of each individual woman to have the right to have children or not to have children, and to do my best to connect with and communicate with and support women who are supporting this around the world. I mean, reproductive freedom is as basic, maybe more basic than Freedom Of Speech. I want to talk about iran a little, because last year after mahsa amini, a 22 year old iranian kurdish woman, died in Police Custody because of allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely, because hijab is mandatory in public spaces in iran, women took to the streets all across iran. They took off their hijab, they burnt it, were swinging it in the air and chanting, woman, life, freedom. Ive spoken to feminist activists from different parts of the world and a lot of people, a lot of them called it a Feminist Revolution. What do you think about that . Do you think of that as a Feminist Revolution . Yes. Yeah. Because they are fighting for Self Determination, for the idea that a womans body is not shameful or to be restricted, you know, just as mens bodies are not. Whether they use the word feminism or not is up to them. Linguistically, especially, there are all different ways of saying this. Some people said women power or womens liberation. Its up to us. When you look at different parts of the world with what women are achieving, especially in Latin America at the moment, with the so called green wave, they were very successful in advancing reproductive rights from argentina to mexico. What do you think about that front line activism taking to the streets . Its great. You know. Its right down your alley, i guess. Yeah. No, because using our voices, protecting our bodies, supporting other women is what the revolution is all about. I also understand that they are in a slightly different situation because they have a kind of nationalform of catholicism in some cases. And not. Catholicism is not the only religion that tries to control reproduction and to create evermore people, but it is probably the best publicised one. The intersection of gender and race has always been centre to your work and your activism. How do you think we can ensure that globalfeminism is more collaborative and that western feminists are not speaking on behalf of women in other parts of the world . 0ur voices need to take account of experience, and we cant speak on behalf of women in another country whose experience is different. Perhaps the chador is necessary for her safety, so im certainly not going to criticise her. Perhaps the religious view on contraception and abortion is more of a problem from one religion than from others. So its up to us to say that. Mm. And some argue that western feminism hasnt been inclusive enough. Would you agree with that . Well, thats probably true. I mean, were dealing with racism in this country. We have always generally tried to say, ok, if the group were starting with doesnt look like the country, then we should wait until it does. You know, do our individual or small group best to represent all the women who are affected by a particular issue. Now, lets talk about me too, the Me Too Movement. It exposed, here in the us, it exposed some of the most powerful men in hollywood as sexual predators and abusers. Do you think that the Me Too Movement has done enough for women outside of hollywood, and even outside of us, to come forward and speak up about Sexual Harassment and violence . You know, they provided an example because to see women demonstrating at the Academy Awards ended up with women demonstrating at Brandenburg Gate and in africa so, you know, to the extent that we now have Global Communication the actions of rebellion are contagious. I remember being in i think it was in london toward its beginning, and women in the street were. Who had just heard about it, you know, were wearing signs that said me too. The appropriation of female bodies by men or the appropriation of bodies of colour by white people or whatever it is that interferes with our Self Determination is not confined to one country or another. So tell me, gloria, what does life look like for you now . Im out of your home, your apartment. This is also where your foundation is as well. Does that make it difficult for you to separate gloria steinem, the activist Public Figure from the personal, private one . There isnt a separation, really. I mean, i think the less separation, the better. The separation comes mainly, i think, from being employed by Somebody Else who sets the standards of your dress and behaviour and so on. And i dont have that. Im enjoying staying home more. I mean, i was travelling all the time for decades. So it is great to be home more. And i turn my living room into a place for talking circles where, you know, disparate people can come and meet, and thats fun. Itjust, it changes form. You know, revolution is like a liquid thats being poured into different containers. It changes its form, but its still the same liquid. Now, what would you say is the biggest misconception people make about you . Well, occasionally, especially when i was travelling a lot, people seemed surprised that i had a sense of humour. Youre notjust an angry feminist. Right. I think also if people look at the movement and think that it is more limited to College Educated white women than it really is, its often started in quite the reverse way. If there is any legacy, i would just say that i. Was trying to make the world a little more fair and a little more representative than it was when i got here, that this included laughter and joy as well as anger and. Right . That each of us is unique so we shouldnt try to be like Somebody Else. But perhaps we can gain support and inspiration from knowing people who came before us. Amazing. Thank you, gloria steinem, for speaking with bbc 100 women. Its been a joy talking to you. No, thank you so much. Thank you. Hello, there. Hi pressure toppled in across the weekend and brought us a drier and sunnier spell as well. But there was a chill in the wind and thats going to continue for the upcoming week. Today, the best of the brightness again has been across more sheltered Western Parts of the uk, thats the glasgow area, but behind me here, more cloud, Thicker Cloud across central and eastern parts of the uk, with outbreaks of rain of the thats pretty much how its going to be for the rest of the week. It will remain chilly with the best of the sunshine across western areas, more cloud across the east. The reason for an area of High Pressure sitting out in the west, allowing northerly winds to move down across the country. We have some Weather Fronts tangled in there, thats why we have seen Thicker Cloud and outbreaks of rain, but that Arctic Air Mass remains in place for most of the uk, up until we reach the weekend. Tuesday will start chilly. A few showers draped across north sea coasts, and the remnants of the Weather Front bringing cloud and rain. The best of the sunshine across central western scotland, where we could see 1617 scotland, where we could see 16 17 degrees. But single figures in the north sea coast. Theres some wintriness on the higher ground, it will be chilly there, but not as chilly as further north and west. But it does mean a chilly start to wednesday, A Touch Of Frost here and there, plenty of sunshine across the north and west of the uk. More broad, more of a breeze towards the north sea. Its here where itll feel quite raw through the day. 6 9 celsius, just into double figures further west, and mid teens in the west. As we head to thursday, two areas of low pressure start to encroach towards our shores. Perhaps even a few showers breaking out. And it turns cloudier with the risk of showers as we head into the afternoon. There could be a wintry element in the showers across the hills of scotland, where it will be pretty chilly. Chillier along north sea coasts. Double figures further south, given some brightness. As we move to friday, the chance of showers increases further as this area of low pressure starts to wind itself up pressure starts to wind itself up and perhaps push into towards more southern parts of the uk. It will cut off the Arctic Air Supply here. So change in air mass to the south, but still chilly, cold across the north, with these wintry showers, certainly wintry showers, certainly wintry on the hills. Further south, 13 14 degrees, but it will be largely cloudy with outbreaks of rain, as we look further ahead, although theres still a Question Mark on this, it looks like we could start to see low pressure taking over, so it will turn wetter and windier, but well lose that arctic northerly and start to pick up Airfrom Arctic Northerly and start to pick up air from the south or the east. So that will make it feel a little bit warmer as you move out of the following weekend into next week. Well start to see the blue colours disappearing as the low pressure moves in, picking up something a little bit warmer from the south and east. As i mentioned, a bit of a Question Mark on the outlook, things could change. But it looks like things will be turning more unsettled as we head into the weekend and the following week, well start to pick up something warmerfrom well start to pick up something warmer from the south and east. But stay tuned to the forecast. What live from washington. This is bbc news. A un report into the Palestinian Refugee agency concludes it must do more to improve its neutrality. 0pening Statements Begin In The First Criminal Trial of former president donald trump. And Rescue Efforts continue in southern china, after deadly flooding. Im helena humphrey. Good to have you with us. The middle east is waking up to the 200th day of the israel gaza war and an independent review of the un agency for Palestinian Refugees has found it needs to improve its neutrality staff vetting and transparency. The report was led by the former French Foreign minister, catherine colonna. She also concluded that israel had yet to provide evidence to support its allegations that many unrwa staff belonged to the hamas militant group. Ms colonna also said unwra played a unique and indispensable role in helping millions of Palestinian Refugees, and expressed confidence that the agency will accept the findings. What needs to be improved will be improved and i repeat, i am confident that implementing these measures will help deliver its mandate. I strongly encourage again the International Community to be side by side with the agency so we can perform its mission. The report was met with critisicm by the israeli government. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson0ren Marmorstein said the report ignores the severity of the problem, and offers cosmetic solutions that do not deal with the enormous scope of hamass infiltration of unrwa. Mr marmonstein went to call on donors not to give money