If you haven’t gotten on the podcast bandwagon yet, you probably don’t know what you’re missing. I myself, am a self-professed podcastaholic. Ok, that’s probably not a real condition (yet), but I am completely obsessed with podcasts. I listen to them daily when walking my dog, making breakfast and even when I’m running on the treadmill.
The New York Times podcast, The Daily and Vox’s Today, Explained are good 20 minute listens that run five days a week, but they’re not for the faint of heart. Given the era error we’re living in, if you can reach the end of one of these without feeling the overwhelming urge to scream “FUUUUUUCK!” into a pillow, you are a much stronger woman than I.
That’s why we desperately need some of these humorous real-talk, weekly podcasts in our lives. They promise to keep us sane and well-informed. So without further ado, here are my top three feminist podcast faves you should get in your rotation ASAP.
Future Women
Why we love it: Future Women might be the new kids on the women’s empowerment block but they’re already making a big splash. This collection of powerhouse women have their roots in Aussie journalism and media. Curious about how conversations at the highest levels across industries might sound different if women actually had parity, they dug in.
Now they’ve launched a membership club that offers workshops on career advancement, women’s empowerment articles, social gatherings and yes, a podcast. Host, Jamila Rizvi pulls amazing data and interviews from around the world, and because it is run by Australian women who actually live in Australia, you get that highly sought localised view of women’s issues right here in our backyard.
First listen: If you’re new to this podcast, definitely give the Step Aside Please, Andrew episode a spin. Future Women delve deep into the lack of female leadership in boardrooms at top ASX companies.
In fact, female corporate board leadership is so dismal in Australia there are actually more men named Andrew on top 100 boards than women total! Future Women unpacks the benefits and pitfalls of quota systems, corporate targets, and how companies with diverse boards actually perform better financially than companies whose boards are comprised of mostly cis white males. Trust us, after one listen, you’ll be hooked.
Call Your Girlfriend
Why we love it: It may be the podcast for long distance besties everywhere, but this podcast offers so, SO much more. Co-hosts and Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman with producer Gina Delvac brilliantly discuss women’s issues as well as racial, LGBTQ+ and class issues, all through an evocative feminist lens.
Their collective wit translates perfectly to delivering facts, rage and a side a levity with such delicate precision, it truly is an art form. Even when covering weighty subjects like #metoo and Black Lives Matter, they can make you laugh.
What makes CYG’s style so truly unique, is their ability to recognise when certain topics have left many of their listeners emotionally raw. By extending a reminder that it’s absolutely fine or even recommended to tap out once in a while, they offer a breath of fresh air in a world where even the most dedicated activists can feel like they’re never doing enough.
If you’re new to podcasts, this weekly show is a great one to get you started. They often interview heavy hitters on the show like Secretary Hillary Clinton, Senator Kamala Harris and The Handmaid’s Tale author, Margaret Atwood to name a few, and they never shy away from asking even their sheroes the tough questions.
Although they attract many big names, these Shine Theory pioneers make sure they are lifting up the voices of non-famous women doing great things too (shout out to all the badass midwives out there!).
First listen: I think it best to throw yourself into the deep end, that’s why I recommend starting with the White Fragility episode. If you’re a person of colour, I imagine the frankness that comes from the guests of this episode might be kind of refreshing. If you’re white, it opens up some hard truths about our immense privilege and the shameful ways we as white feminists have knowingly and unknowingly upheld the tenets of white supremacy both in the past and still today.
You’re going to feel uncomfortable listening to this episode, and you should. I know I did. But that means you’re growing and becoming a much better ally in the progressive movement. As Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Unladylike
Why we love it: If you ever find yourself looking back on the episode of Sex and The City, when Carrie asks, “Are we should-ing all over ourselves?” and wonder 20+ years on if we still are, this is the podcast for you. Co-hosts Cristen Conger and Caroline Ervin (aka C+C) dig deep to find rule breaking women who are bucking the status quo and doing it their own damn way-- never mind what society says they “should” be doing.
This well researched and hilarious duo tend to distil topics that you didn’t even know you cared about until they get their hands on them. Before you know it, you’re addicted. Their guests are as insightful as they are interesting.
No subject is out of bounds for the Unladylike team. With every topic from gun ownership lending the feeling of security to people from historically vulnerable communities, to comparing the resurgence of the Equal Rights Amendment to an IUD for our rights, their angle is always fresh, compulsively fact-checked and sharply humorous.
First Listen: How to Reboot Sexist Robots. This episode is a perfect example of the intriguing subjects Unladylike uncovers. The fact that robots already have such an impact on our daily lives, it’s impossible to ignore that their influence will experience exponential growth in the near future. But as we venture into the bright new world of technology and AI, so many of the patriarchal holdovers that we’re still struggling with in 2018 are being programmed into our robots and virtual assistants of the future.
Why do most voice-activated assistants have female voices? Why do so many robots have tits? And why do war robots have the bulky physique of the Hulk when being smaller and more nimble would be more advantageous?
All of the questions get answered in this episode. And if you’re worried that listening to this episode will only confirm your suspicion that humankind is destined to end up like a Terminator movie, don’t be. Because like only these ladies can, they shine a light on dark situations. You may even finish this episode feeling, dare I say it, hopeful? At the very least, you’ll definitely have a smart and fascinating convo to bring to happy hour, and that’s something, right?
More is more. So what other awesome fem-fab podcasts should we be listening to? Let us know in the comments, we promise to give them a spin.