Making Sure No Woman Is Left Behind

Coming up on today’s show:

— Thursday, March 8th is International Women’s Day, a day marked by the United Nations to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievement of women. The Takeaway talks with the head of the U.N. Women’s organization, Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, about the plight of rural women around the world, and the executive director’s work with Rohingya women.

— The majority of obituaries at The New York Times, like so many outlets, have been for white men. The Times is trying to change that with a new project called “Overlooked“. It’s creating new obituaries for women throughout history who never got one, but should have. New York Times Gender Editor Jessica Bennett sits down with Jezebel Editor-in-Chief Koa Beck to explain what’s behind the effort, and to share two stories of women they say deserve their long-awaited spotlight.

— About 100 million Americans live with chronic pain everyday, according to the American Academy of Pain Medicine. For years, doctors have prescribed opioids as the go-to for pain medication. But are opioids really the best solution to pain? Dr. Erin Krebs, a primary care physician and Researcher at the Minneapolis VA and the lead author of a study comparing the use of opioid and non-opioid medications, weighs in.

— Upcoming primaries in states like Illinois, Arizona, and Mississippi will indicate whether Democrats can rally around the future of their party and retake seats held by Republicans. Elaine Kamarck, the director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution, discusses what to expect in the upcoming primary season.

— The Winter Paralympics begin tomorrow in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and Amira Rose Davis, co-host of the Burn It All Down podcast, is back on the show to talk about the Games. Davis, who is also assistant professor of History and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies at Penn State, starts by discussing the athletes she’s most excited to watch.