INTRODUCTION
The Victorian Women’s Trust (VWT) shares a list of their favourite feminist podcasts including Fierce Girls, Sisteria and Mother of Invention. At VWT, we love a good podcast. And with so much going on in the news, and so much of it downright bad news, podcasts — especially feminist podcasts — are a necessary retreat. Just like gender equality, climate justice must continue be our collective focus (and let’s be clear, the two are inextricably linked) but in order to stay connected to the cause, time out is essential. Podcasts provide just that. Right now there are so many great feminist podcasts out there, each in their own way a kind of an antidote to apathy. There’s so many podcasts we could mention, but for the sake of brevity, here’s just a few of our favourites.MONEY POWER FREEDOM
Hosted by beloved Kiwi comedian Cal Wilson and Santilla Chingaipe, filmmaker, journalist and regular writer for the Saturday Paper. Cal and Santilla team up to decode money and power — who’s got it and who doesn’t — and what that means for women’s freedom.
Part essential money advice, part rallying cry for the feminist within, hear interviews with Layne Beachley, Karen From Finance, Hana Assafiri, Jamila Rizvi, Marilyn Waring, Karen Pickering, Van Badham, and many more.
Listen for free from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or through our website.
MOTHER OF INVENTION
“Climate change is a man-made problem — with a feminist solution!” This is the motto of Mothers of Invention, a podcast hosted by former Irish President Mary Robinson and comedian Maeve Higgins. In each episode, the charming and unlikely pair talk with climate change activists from around the world about how we can achieve climate justice. Beautifully edited and uplifting — while remaining entirely cognisant of the hugeness of the problem — Mothers of Invention is a must-listen in these trying times.
Listen for free from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
TIDDAS 4 TIDDAS
This podcast is something special. Hosted by Tiddas founder Marlee Silva, Tiddas 4 Tiddas was created to empower young black women to know their worth and recognise all that they’re capable of. Featuring interviews with June Oscar AO, Leah Purcell, Tara June Winch, and many more women who exemplify that brilliant NAIDOC theme from a few years back “because of her, we can”.
Listen for free from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
DOLLY PARTON’S AMERICA
In a word: divine. Dolly Parton is the great unifier; it doesn’t matter what side of politics you sit on or what kind of music you are into; most people consider Dolly to be one of the greatest female musicians of all time and delight in her many hilarious witticisms, unreal outfits and quite beautiful songwriting. This podcast asks how she manages to reach across so many boundaries in a country so divided, and features with long interviews with the woman herself.
Listen for free from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
FIERCE GIRLS
ABC makes such good quality podcasts. There’s a lot to love, but we would like to make an extra special mention of Fierce Girls. This podcast boldly and loudly celebrates women athletes, scientists, spies — gusty girls who get stuff done.
Hear from amazing Amy Shark, Yael Stone, Dame Quentin Bryce, Claudia Karvan, Turia Pitt, Stephanie Gilmore, Leah Purcell, and more as they tell the inspiring tales of some of Australia’s most extraordinary women.
Listen for free from your mobile device on the ABC listen app, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.
CALL YOUR GIRLFRIEND
Tech expert Aminatou Sow and journalist Ann Friedman are BFFs living in different parts of the country, so their friend-turned-producer Gina Delvac, encouraged them to make their weekly catch up phone calls into a show. Sow and Friedman now record their conversations over Skype and Delvac edits them into a podcast. The result is funny, intelligent and bound to make you want to call your best mate, pronto.
Listen for free from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
SISTERIA
This is one of our favourites! Hosted by Stephanie Van Schilt and Veronica Sullivan, each episode shines a spotlight on the work of a different Australian woman or non-binary creative, delving into how gender and culture influences their creative practice and engagement with the arts.
Check out this podcast to hear interviews with Aretha Brown, Mojo Juju, Michelle Law, and many more.
Listen for free from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud.BOBO AND FLEX
Bobo and Flex is co-hosted by good pals Bobo Matjila and Lillian Ahenkan (AKA Flex Mami). Bobo Matjila is a New York philosopher and Lillian Ahenkan is a Sydney-based DJ, television host and author. Together, they are on a quest to decolonise minds and intersect feminism by talking about sex, toxic relationships, incels, wokeness, breakups and non-monogamy. Well worth a listen!
Listen for free from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Soundcloud.
HEY AUNTY!
Produced and hosted by Shantel Wetherall, Hey Aunty! gives voice to black women, fems and non-binary people through storytelling.
Uplifting the proud tradition of the ‘Aunty’ in black and Indigenous cultures, this podcast honours black matriarchs and claims the disruptive power of this identity for a new generation of black fems. Episodes include interviews with guests such as Tarneen Onus-Williams, Namila Benson, and Faustina Agolley.
Listen for free from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
THE OUTER SANCTUM
Are you a footy tragic? This one’s for you.
The Outer Sanctum is an unconventional all-female footy podcast that features six passionate fans – broadcaster Emma Race, lawyer Kate Seear, author Nicole Hayes, poet & author Alicia Sometimes, and business owners Lucy Race and Felicity Race. The Outer Sanctum focuses on stories and voices that rarely get a word in Australian Rules football.
Listen for free from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, ABC Listen app or Soundcloud.
LADIES, WE NEED TO TALK
This podcast hosted by Yumi Stynes, Ladies We Need to Talk is for women, by women, and it isn’t afraid to dive head first into the tricky topics. Yumi talks honestly about things that tend to make women feel uncomfortable, topics such as bad sex, female discharge, abortion or being childless by choice.
As always, Yumi Stynes is an utter delight. Enjoy.
Listen for free from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, ABC Listen app or Google Podcasts.
