370 Ilana Landsberg Lewis: Across cultures, older women bring social change and justice to human family
From Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined by Gail Zelitzky and Catherine Marienau
March 3, 2026 · 32 min · Season 7 · Episode 370
About this episode
Ilana Landsberg-Lewis discusses the transformative role of older women in social justice and community leadership.
Ilana Landsberg-Lewis went to law school to understand how power works—so she could help transform it in the service of justice, especially for women. Alongside her father, she co-founded and led a nonprofit funding community-based organization in sub-Saharan Africa working to turn the tide of AIDS and support African grandmothers raising a generation of grandchildren orphaned by the pandemic. When others dismissed older women as “not a sustainable investment,” Ilana helped launch an international movement of grandmothers across Canada, the UK, and the United States—raising more than $50 million and supporting millions of grandchildren. At the center of this work is her unwavering belief that older women are not only caregivers, but leaders, change-makers, and moral anchors for their communities. Through her podcast and fund, Ilana lifts up older women’s stories and their power-- a practice of love and a commitment to liberation—from the chains of inequality and from the limits placed on whose lives are valued. Her work invites us to see the human family more fully, and to recognize older women as essential architects of justice across the globe. Connect with Ilana…
People in this episode
Hosts: Gail Zelitzky, Catherine Marienau
Guest: Ilana Landsberg-Lewis
Topics covered
- social change
- justice
- older women
- community support
- AIDS
- leadership
Keywords
- older women
- social justice
- AIDS
- community organizations
- grandmothers
- leadership
- nonprofit
Sponsors
AARP Illinois
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: wisdomatworkpodcast.com, grandmothersonthemove@gmail.com
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