Nakia D. Hansen, J.D.

Like Parlourista Hillary, I too have identified with an episode of “Girls.” I remember having a Hannah moment in college when one of my roommates came home from the campus health center with tears in her eyes. As we sat together on our cheap first apartment furniture and I asked her what was wrong. “I have HPV,” she said through tears, “and there’s no cure.” While I wish I was the one who doled out my own smart, sassy retort, it was my other roomie who jumped in. “Oh. That? ...

It’s no coincidence that “My Sister’s Place” is a common name for battered women’s shelters across the United States. The feelings and imagery that such a name conjures – that of community, safety, and understanding – is essential in what’s likely to be the most traumatizing and disruptive moments of a woman’s life. Women have been seeking out the company of our “sisters” for as long as we’ve walked the Earth, both in good times and bad. In Kenya, women have taken this safety in sisterhood ideal a step further, ...

Former Miss America, singer, actress, and mom, Vanessa Williams, revealed that she had been molested as a child in her new memoir You Have No Idea. Williams recalls that a family friend – a woman she trusted – touched her inappropriately during a sleepover when she was just 10 years old. One might wonder why an accomplished, mature woman like Williams would reveal such a personal and painful detail from her past many years after the fact. In an interview with PeopleMagazine, Williams said, “For years I kept Susan’s visit to myself. I ...

You’d be hard pressed to find a person who didn’t associate the words “I Have a Dream” with Dr. Martin Luther King and the struggle for African-American self-determination and equality during the Civil Rights Movement. While blacks have made significant progress, there’s a new generation struggling to achieve their own version of King’s dream. Through the DREAM Act, young immigrant men and women hope to fully participate in and benefit from America, a country they know, love, and contribute to every day.

Let me get this straight: we’re really going to let men decide that we can’t enjoy wedges anymore? I made it through the Kitten Heel Revolt of 2010 relatively unscathed and we’re still fighting the Cold War of the Ballet Flat but I cannot go quietly into the night this time. Wedges? Really? Let me back up a second and tell you why I think the debate is so utterly ridiculous.

It’s widely recognized that domestic violence is a serious human rights violation that affects women, children and families worldwide. Violence against women* impacts the stability of families, increases the burden on our bursting-at-the-seams healthcare system, and negatively impacts our economy. Violence against women can result in the loss of one’s home, job, and dignity or, in some cases, life. So you would assume that most people are all for ending violence against women, right? If by most people you’re including Republican leaders in Congress, you’d be wrong. With the Violence ...

I presented at South by Southwest Interactive on Sunday, March 11. The session was entitled Stand with Planned Parenthood: A Crisis Response. Felt really good to impart some useful info to the crowd. As any SXSW attendee can tell you, it’s easy to get stuck in a crappy panel with sub-par presenters so I’m glad we got positive feedback. Also happy that the crowd came out despite the rainy weather, early morning session, and Daylight Saving snatching an hour of sleep from the partied-out attendees. Shout out to my panelists Amy Bryant, Stephanie ...

March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, where government agencies, healthcare providers, community organizations, people living with HIV/AIDS, and more, come together to raise awareness about the continued impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of women and girls in the U.S. and around the world. As a woman interested in public health and activism, I always feel compelled to speak on the issue and do my little part to raise awareness. However, it’s that very desire that trips me up and smacks me in the head with ...

  The death of pop star Whitney Houston resulted in more than 2.5 million tweets in just the first hour after her passing was announced, the proliferation of numerous fan tribute videos, and most regrettably, the resurgence of the term “crack whore.” I personally hate the term and never use it along with others like “crackhead” and “crackish.” My self-inflicted ban comes from the belief that being addicted to crack is not something to be taken lightly. Furthermore, “crack whore,” a term reserved for women offering their bodies for a taste of the drug, has ...

There’s a home video somewhere on VHS that shows a pre-pubescent Nakia proclaiming that she wants to be the first black female President of the United States … and a model. Very cute, if not some indication of future megalomania, but I would not wish for job of POTUS today after seeing what President Obama has had to endure in the latest of many battles over birth control. Here’s the rundown: