12 feminist podcasts that will make you think, laugh, learn, and even disagree.

Deborah Frances-White, host of The Guilty Feminist, defined podcasting as “the radio that no one will stop making” on one of the first regular live podcast shows in Australia. did. That accessibility has led to a proliferation of feminist podcasts.

Podcasting, unlike radio, is open to groups that have traditionally been marginalized or minimized in the broadcast industry. This includes women, especially feminists. Even the most progressive public broadcasters rarely find room for more than one clearly female-centered program, let alone one that leans toward the F-word (feminist).

Podcasting was built on the freedom of the blogosphere and the proliferation of smartphones. This format further increases the inherent accessibility of audio. Listening has never required formal literacy. In podcasting and production, technological innovation has paved the way, along with changing standards and ideas about “quality.”

No one will stop you from making a feminist podcast (aside from your objective life situation, but that's another story). And if feminism's noblest aim is to create a more equal society, one could argue that podcasting itself is a feminist project.

Read more: 15 literary podcasts to laugh, learn, and join in the conversation about books

Assortment of feminist podcasts

Some podcasts are explicitly feminist.Why is this word in the title? guilty feminist Is there anything else? It's a podcast and live show in which Frances-White and guests “candidly discuss our noble goals as 21st century feminists and the hypocrisies and insecurities that sometimes undermine them.”

But if you read this description literally, you'll miss out on the fun and humor of this show. Each episode has a theme, beginning with a list of confessions from Frances-White and her guests: “I'm a feminist, but…” and generally providing a good laugh.

Guests have included former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Cal Wilson, an extraordinary New Zealand-born comedian who frequently contributes to episodes recorded in Australia and New Zealand. Wilson, who passed away suddenly in 2023, brought humor and warmth to many episodes.

Australia's abortion storya labor of love supported by volunteers and virtual coffee crowdfunding, is another decidedly feminist podcast.

Hosts Kelsey and Cassidy give women a platform to share their stories about abortion, exploring fundamental issues like abortion stigma and equal access. In its mission and format, this is a textbook example of podcasting's independent feminist spirit.

But what about podcasts? Chat 10 Appearance 3• Hosts Annabelle Crabb and Lee Sales talk about “books, TV, radio, movies, food, politics, and anything else you care about.” Even show tunes. ”

It's amazing how a social media phenomenon has developed around this and other podcasts like it, bringing women, and many self-selected, wise men, a can-do philosophy of joy, support, and helpfulness to their corners of the internet. It's not something you should do. I think that's clearly feminist.

The networked nature of podcasting and widely distributed social media mirrors the non-hierarchical methods women traditionally use to organize.

A book club is a similar example of a women's network that combines social connections and discussing ideas.award winning podcast feminist book club I identify as fundamentally feminist and intersectional.

But their episodes range from recent episodes about Black feminist writers who have shaped us to episodes about Britney Spears' memoirs and romances featuring women in STEM fields. This is also a social media phenomenon, and clearly a political phenomenon. Organizers aim for “feminist theory in practice” and prioritize marginalized communities with a broad and inclusive approach to gender.

Australian feminism meets intersectionality in Nakia Lui and producer Nicola Harvey's sensational and stunning work eating for the first time (from Audible) is based on the question, “What would our dinners look like if Indigenous people owned the land?” “Part memoir, part documentary series,” the work is tied to issues of decolonization and self-determination.

Louie, who shares her hosting duties, has traveled the world interviewing women of color (particularly Indigenous women) about their relationships with food. She also researched how it has been used to oppress Indigenous peoples. Of course, food and body image have long been the focus of feminist debate.

There are clearly ABCs in the feminist field as well. Ladies, I have something to tell you., with Yumi Steines. With an emphasis on sex and personal empowerment, Steins brings fun to feminism with candid talk and helpful information on issues ranging from the orgasm gap to mental strain.

And then there's Australian Girl Boss Feminism. mamma mia, Mamamia Out Loud, and many more. Feminism can be difficult to pin down, but Mamma Mia markets itself as “a publisher with a purpose to make the world a better place for women and girls.”

My friend Michelle Ransom-Hughes, an award-winning independent podcast producer, has Australia's keenest ear for audio. Her favorite feminist podcast is her American Made Chat show. everything is fineAccording to the show notes, each episode “delves deep into the shifts in identity that come with navigating alternately through these strange and liberating stages of life.”

heartis promoted as a podcast about power and love and is popular among podcast producers. Founded in 2014 by host Caitlin in her presto bedroom, the service is a treasure trove of queer feminist audio and provocative storytelling, but it's so well made that its mission is fundamentally It's easy to forget that you're a feminist.

Forensically researched and created The RetrievalsThe show, from The New York Times and Serial Productions, takes listeners through the experiences of a group of women undergoing IVF treatment and experiencing excruciating pain. It contains harrowing stories about the gender-discriminatory nature of industrialized medicine, and how women in particular are not believed when they complain of pain. Although it focuses on a relatively privileged group of women, it is a persuasive and sobering listen.

And overseas, women of a certain age (along with their sudden appearance of invisible supernatural powers) enjoy podcasts like: smarter than me. Here, Julia Louis-Dreyfus interviews and honors older women, and along with listeners, learn how to live well as they age.Guests include iconic critic Fran Leibowitz, Jane Fonda, and 90-year-old comedian Carol Burnett

Read more: Australia leads the world in podcast listening. Why do we love them so much?

crack down on women's voices

Of course, anyone can create and distribute a podcast, but when it comes to professional endeavors, there are gatekeepers within the podcast ecosystem. Spotify's attempt to build a walled garden of exclusive podcasts may have, well, hit a wall. But with so much money flowing in and out of podcasting, attempts to lock in and contain audiences will continue.

The centerpiece of the Spotify garden is The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast hosted primarily by men who talk to other men, and it's the world's most expensive podcast. I advocate podcasting as a feminist project, but it works as it is in the world.

But it's sitting next to please call her daddy, a podcast by young women, for young women – and another big acquisition for Spotify. Apparently, it's the most listened to podcast by women on the platform. There is a lot of debate surrounding self-proclaimed feminist presenter Alex Cooper's qualifications as a feminist, with some (outside her target audience) believing that proficiency in sexual techniques, for example, qualifies her as a feminist. I'm wondering if it's of interest.

But Call Her Daddy speaks to the diversity of both feminism and podcasting, engaging with celebrities and contemporary culture.

Another way of resisting voices, especially young women's voices, is seen in the direct policing of female voices and vocal fry, a speech style associated with valley girls, and the overuse of the word “like” with the pitch of the voice. Masu. In a way that may sound inauthentic and squeamish.

Listeners and critics feel free to complain about women's voices, but men can also be recognized for similar qualities. Despite these well-known double standards, women continue to thrive as podcast producers, hosts, and consumers.

By using humor and courage to share their voices with the world, women debunk ideas such as “women's voices are shrill” and “women are uninteresting.”

It's no small thing, and clearly feminist, that podcasters like the wonderful Deborah Frances-White have taken their production into their own hands. May the podcast continue to convey the joy, diversity, and challenges of a fulfilling woman's life.