It was the 1970s, and the feminist and environmental movements were in full swing. When she was 25, Kaye met the man who would change the course of her life - and by proxy touch the lives of many other women - forever. She’ll tell you she’s a natural caretaker, like many of the women who end up in her situation, a softy and a pushover. She’s a straight-talker, her voice is flat and strong, and only in brief moments do you get a sense of the benevolence behind her stoic, no-bullshit facade. Yet so much more about Kaye seems, simply, exhausted. It may be from recent health problems, complications from diabetes. Pictured (above): Francine Barbetta | Photography by Ryan Collerd.īonnie Kaye is 63 and runs a GED center in a blighted stretch of northeast Philadelphia.