On International Women’s Day, we asked our team to share their best women-centered podcasts. Their picks are engaging, thought-provoking, and all-round inspirational. Here’s a roundup of the best podcasts to tune into on International Women’s Day.
1. Avant-Garde – أفانجارد – Jasadi
Samira, a woman writer-director, shares her raw artistic journey, her passion for cinema and filmmaking, and the hardships she went through to find her voice, her identity, deal with loss, and stay true to her craft. Avant-Garde is an episode of Jasadi that highlights universal artists’ dilemmas, like mainstream vs independent art, dealing with impostor syndrome, and debunking myths about artists’ need to live in a never-ending struggle. If you want to explore an artist’s inner world and struggles first-hand, this podcast is for you.
2. By the edge of the pool – على حافة البيسين – Masafat
A group of cheerful girls wearing flamboyant swimsuits, with hair pulled backwards in a sturdy bun, stand by the edge of the pool in synchronized and choreographed movements, getting ready to showcase their outstanding skills in water ballet. As soon as the music starts, they begin a beautiful underwater routine exhibiting wonderful shapes with their bodies, impressive stamina, and superb breath control. But beneath the artistry and grace of water ballet, there is an underlying dark side that elicits anxiety, fear, and takes away self-worth. By the Edge of the pool is an Arabic episode of Masafat podcast that explores the perils of being a competitive synchronized swimmer in the early 2000s. A story on how life as an athlete can be both an exhilarating and a traumatic experience.
3. Call Jane at 643-3844 – BBC
“We were just ordinary women who found ourselves in an extraordinary situation and chose to say yes to it.”
A BBC production, Call Jane is a thought-provoking podcast that looks back at Chicago’s underground feminist abortion service that helped women who wanted to terminate their unwanted pregnancies. Established between 1969 and 1973 – before Roe vs Wade ruling – Call Jane is a service that came at a time in history when abortion was illegal in the US. An engaging story on standing up against the law, advocating for women’s rights to health and safety, and providing medical and emotional support for those who were in dire need of help.
4. Forgotten: Women of Suarez – iHeart Radio
In Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, hundreds of women go missing. Some are found murdered, with strange symbols carved on their bodies.Produced by iHeart media, Forgotten: Women of Suarez is a detective series investigating the murders of a number of women in the Mexican city of Juarez. The podcast explores the theories behind their murder and follows a female-led investigation to uncover who is responsible behind the violent murders. Women of Suarez is not for the faint of hearts as it contains some information which some listeners might find disturbing or triggering.
5. Hustle Rule: The Untold Stories of Women’s Soccer – iHeart Podcasts
Narratives that span across Brazil, the United States, Nigeria, and Australia, Hustle Rule is a mini-series that takes us inside the lives of women soccer players who are willing to risk everything for the game they love. Produced by iHeart Podcasts, each episode depicts wonderful soccer adventures, heartbreak, endurance, and joy. A highly recommended story, episode 5 takes us into the lives of three Afghan women; Nadia Nadim, a professional soccer player, a soon-to-be surgeon, and an Afghan refugee, Diana, Nadia’s sister and a champion boxer, and Aryana Sayeed, Nadia’s aunt and Afghanistan’s most famous singer who has taken her fight for the rights of Afghan women all the way to the UN. A beautiful story on doing whatever it takes for what you love.
6. Mansoura-saurus Dinosaur – منصوراصورص – Masafat
A group of women researchers and paleontologists went on a trip to Egypt’s Western Desert only to make a fascinating discovery – some mysterious vertebrate remains – that would change their lives forever. Produced by Masafat podcast, this is the inspiring story of Egyptian women researchers at a regional marginalized university who rose to stardom and made international headlines by discovering large dinosaur fossils dating back to millions of years ago in Egypt’s Western Desert. Their discovery confirmed the movement of dinosaurs between continents.
7. Nadine Labaki: Filmmaker & Actress – al Empire
An inspirational interview with an artist who dared to push the envelope and go beyond the conventional Arab narratives. Her films portrayed raw, heart-wrenching realities and tore stereotypes about women, religion, identity, and sexuality. Produced by al Empire podcast, award-winning Lebanese director, screenwriter, and actor, Nadine Labaki, opens up about her passion for filmmaking since childhood, growing up in a war-torn country, and her devotion to explore women who lead unfulfilled lives in fear of retribution and society prejudice.
8. The Rise and Fall of #MeToo in Egypt – Kerning Cultures
A 22-year-old Egyptian woman made the difficult decision to publicly call out her harasser on social media. In a moment of rage, she typed out a post that would end up going viral. Over the next few weeks, in a whirlwind of Tweets, Facebook posts and Instagram stories, a shocking revelation surfaced; she wasn’t the only woman this man had assaulted. Over 50 other women stepped forward with unspeakable accusations against him.The Rise and Fall of #MeToo is an episode produced by Kerning Cultures that documents a major reckoning for Egyptian women; one that inspired big changes in how the country – and the law – deals with sexual assault cases. But the truth and speaking up against harassment and violence comes at a cost.