Episode 220: Post-Separation Abuse and The Failure of the Family Court System with Zawn Villines
The Divorce Survival Guide Podcast
Kate Anthony
4.4 • 574 Ratings
🗓️ 8 June 2023
⏱️ 54 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Zawn Villines returns to the show this week. Together we explore how men use the family court system to continue to abuse women. Zawn shares the harrowing story of Caroline Youseff Kassenoff, who experienced post-separation abuse in its most extreme form and who the family court system failed horribly. We discussed Kayden's Law, double standards around mental health and infidelity, and how to quietly quit your marriage if you simply can't leave.
Zawn Villines is a feminist activist and writer who focuses on misogyny in motherhood and marriage. Her work argues that mothers are central to the feminist project and that fathers must participate equally in household and parenting labor. She believes that inequality in marriage is a primary driver of sexism and limits women's lives and futures.
Featured topics include:
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DARVO and how it plays into coercive control and post-separation abuse within family courts (15:48)
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The double standard around mental health and infidelity between men and women (19:57(
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Why men must hear, "Being an extraordinary husband gets you an extraordinary wife. It gets you a better life." (31:40)
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"Marriage is a huge and dangerous gamble that is not worth undertaking for most women." (35:11)
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Quiet quitting: If you can't leave, how can you still make a meaningful life? (35:35)
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Kids know what is happening and eventually discover the truth - there often is justice down the line. (50:20)
Learn more about Zawn Villines:
Zawn Villines is a feminist activist and writer who focuses on misogyny in motherhood and marriage. Her work argues that mothers are central to the feminist project, and that fathers must participate equally in household and parenting labor. She believes that inequality in marriage is a primary driver of sexism, and that it limits women's lives and futures. Inequality at home is a form of abuse, and Zawn teaches women to push back on this unacceptable treatment and claim their rightful place in the family, at work, and in their communities.
Her weekly Feminist Advice Friday series advises people about how to live better and more just lives and how to use their relationships as pathways to liberation and joy.
Outside of her activism, Zawn has written full-time about science, medicine, politics, and the law for two decades. She writes a weekly reproductive justice column and runs a nonprofit childbirth justice organization.
She hopes to see more mothers claim the power and dignity of motherhood and end notions of mothers as irrelevant. Mothers are raising the next generation of resistance.
Resources & Links:
Information and links may also be found at: https://kateanthony.com/podcast/episode-220-post-separation-abuse-and-the-failure-of-the-family-court-system-with-zawn-villines/
Zawn's website
Zawn on Facebook
Zawn on Instagram
Subscribe to Zawn's newsletter!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Divorce Survival Guide podcast, where we have open and honest conversations about co-parenting, separation, divorce, and the hardest question of all, should you stay or should you go. |
| 0:17.8 | I'm Kate Anthony, your divorce survival guide, and I'm here to help you navigate some of |
| 0:23.3 | the roughest waters you've ever swum in and answer some of your toughest questions. I've been to |
| 0:29.1 | hell and back, and now it's my mission in life to help you get to the other side of this process |
| 0:35.1 | with your sanity and your heart intact. |
| 0:44.6 | Hey, everyone. |
| 0:46.5 | Welcome back. |
| 0:48.1 | Today's guest probably needs no introduction, but I'll introduce her anyway. |
| 0:53.1 | I have Zahn back on the podcast with me. So Zon |
| 0:58.0 | Velines is a feminist activist and writer who focuses on misogyny and motherhood and marriage. |
| 1:04.5 | Her work argues that mothers are central to the feminist project and that fathers must |
| 1:09.1 | participate equally in household and parenting labor. |
| 1:11.8 | She believes that inequality in marriage is a primary driver of sexism and that it limits |
| 1:17.7 | women's lives and futures. |
| 1:20.9 | Hala! |
| 1:22.1 | Her weekly feminist advice Friday series advises people about how to live better and more just lives and how to use their |
| 1:28.9 | relationships as pathways to liberation and joy. Zahn also has an amazing substack that you |
| 1:35.5 | should subscribe to and that we will link to in the show notes. Pay for it. She deserves it. |
| 1:42.7 | And what else can I say? It's Zahn. Here she is. |
| 1:52.2 | Zon, welcome back to the show. I'm so happy to have you here. Thank you. So, you know, we were going to |
| 2:00.3 | talk about all sorts of things. We were going to talk about |
| 2:03.1 | quiet quitting and emotional dependency and all sorts of things. But before we hit record, |
... |
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