About Anushay Hossain
Anushay Hossain is a Washington DC-based writer, podcast host, and passionate advocate for women’s health. Her career is dedicated to exposing and addressing systemic sexism and racism within the American healthcare system.
As the host of The Pain Gap Podcast, Anushay and her diverse array of guests shed light on the challenges faced by women, particularly women of color, in the American healthcare landscape. By bridging the gap and fostering dialogue, Anushay aims to drive positive change in healthcare equality.
Anushay’s advocacy is deeply rooted in her personal experiences, including her upbringing in 1980s Bangladesh. Initially believing that the US provided the world’s finest healthcare for women, her own harrowing childbirth experience shattered that illusion. This traumatic event sparked her mission to understand and communicate how systemic sexism in American healthcare endangers women’s lives, particularly those of color.
Beginning her feminist journey as an intern at the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), Anushay focused on microfinance for women and girls in her native country. A graduate of the University of Virginia, she then joined the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Nobel Peace Prize-nominated Campaign for Afghan Women. Later, she completed her MA in Gender and Development at the University of Sussex. Anushay spent a year at the United Nations Development Fund for Women’s (UNIFEM UK) London office before returning to Washington, DC, where she primarily focuses on analyzing the impact of US foreign policy on the health and rights of women and girls worldwide.
Anushay is in high demand as a speaker for universities, medical institutions, and organizations, delivering tailored keynote speeches and presentations on women’s health. Her talks shed light on the embedded sexism and racism within America’s healthcare system, emphasizing the critical need to believe women for transformative change. Anushay has addressed audiences of all sizes at prestigious venues such as the National Press Club, Columbia University, Yale University, the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Hospital Association (AHA), Vertex Pharmaceuticals, America’s Essential Hospitals (AEH), March of Dimes, and more.
As a prominent writer and feminist policy analyst, Anushay focuses primarily on women’s health legislation. Her insightful commentary is a regular feature on CNN, MSNBC, and PBS. Additionally, her writings on politics, gender, and race have been featured in esteemed publications including Forbes, CNN, USA TODAY, and Newsweek.
Anushay’s first book, “The Pain Gap” delves into the harrowing experiences of women navigating healthcare in America, offering a meticulously researched and deeply reported exploration of the women’s health crisis. The book unveils real stories of medical misogyny and healthcare trauma, challenging readers to confront systemic sexism.
Anushay’s personal journey, from the relief of accessing American healthcare during her pregnancy to a near-death experience during childbirth, serves as a poignant narrative thread. Her shocking realization that the richest country on earth didn’t guarantee a safe childbirth experience fueled a mission to understand and expose the dismissive treatment of women, especially women of color, in the healthcare system.
In the spirit of feminist manifestos, such as “The Feminine Mystique” and “Rage Becomes Her,” “The Pain Gap” serves as an eye-opening call to arms. It encourages women to harness their collective power and flip the narrative on the “hysteria complex” to revolutionize women’s healthcare. From lobbying on Capitol Hill to nearly becoming a statistic herself, Hossain’s journey is a compelling testament to the need for change.