Top 5 Podcasts For Your Playlist For Women’s Month
Every year, in South Africa, the month of August pays tribute to women in the country and commemorates the more than 20, 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 protesting patriarchal laws that subjugated women.
But 25 years after the celebration of the first women’s day in 1995, women are still at the mercy of men, society, and the law.
With patriarchy deeply entrenched in our society and women at the forefront of the fight for equality, podcasting looks like it can play an important role. It has been used to create an understanding of the battle by looking at the effects of patriarchy on women’s lives.
Considering the lack of progress in policies and reforms, we look at empowering, thought-provoking, and entertaining podcasts created by women for women that aim to invoke social and legislative change in SA — and provide great banter too.
Here are some podcast episodes that should be on your playlist this women’s month:
1. News From The Frontline EP 4: Domestic Violence during lockdown
News From The Frontline is Tekano’s solidarity initiative produced by Volume, where Tekano’s Atlantic Fellowship participants bring you news from the frontlines of local communities in South Africa. With the nation under lockdown to curb the spread of Coronavirus, the country has seen a surge in incidents of gender-based violence. President Ramaphosa declared gender-based violence the ‘second pandemic’.
SAPS recorded 2300 gender-based violence complaints in the first week of the lockdown alone. And in the first three weeks of lockdown, more than 120 000 survivors phoned the national hotline for abused women and children.
That is double the usual volume of calls for a 3-week time-frame. While other episodes of News from the Frontline look at issues such as sex work, or young women and access to water, this episode of the series specifically looks at how people are working to fight domestic violence across Africa.
Listen to News from the Frontline here
2. Patriarchy Popcast EP #2.2: Superwomxn
Strong Women. May we know them. May we be them, and may we raise them. But may we also allow them to be whatever they want to be. In this episode of Patriarchy Popcast, they talk about the notion of strong black women and the implications it has on mental health, relationships, and identity.
Every week the hosts of Patriarchy Popcast invite participants to discuss very difficult conversations surrounding the Patriarchy. Each episode works as follows: there is a Perils of Patriarchy box and in the box there are facts and views that can drive the conversation towards POPing the Patriarchy.
Listen to Patriarchy Popcast here
3. She Brigade S2 EP 14: Zandile Mkhwanazi, Founder of GirlCode & EmpowerXx
Welcome to She Brigade, the podcast hosted by Pelontle Mosimege. In each episode, the hosts of She Brigade have in-depth conversations with amazing women across South Africa, from corporate professionals to creatives and entrepreneurs.
In this episode the hosts talk to Zandile Keebine, the Chairwoman and founder of GirlCode, a non-profit organisation aimed at empowering young girls and women through technology. Through her leadership, the organisation has grown immensely to host monthly coding and robotics workshops teaching over 3000 girls from primary and high schools.
She is also the founder of EmpowerXx, a women-in-STEM focused recruitment agency whose focus is to accelerate women in leadership positions within corporates.
Tune in to hear her all about Zandile’s story.
4. 5FM Podcasts FEMMEnomenal: Leah Jazz and Lindy Johnson and Kate Pinchuck
5FM Podcasts presents FEMMEnomenal, an audio and video portrait of South African women. 5FMs female DJ host a video and audio podcast series featuring some of South Africa’s most influential and inspiring women. The series includes candid conversations around life, love, #everydaysexism, overcoming hardships, and everything in-between.
In this episode, #5Squad’s Leah Jazz chats to comedians Lindy Johnson and Kate Pinchuck about working in the male dominated world of comedy.
5. Sisters in Conversation S1 EP 24: Kundi Ramashia, Family Advocate
Sisters In Conversation is hosted by Tebello Motshwane and is an extension of the Sister In Law platform. The podcast will focus on profiling women in the legal profession, the challenges they have overcome in the profession, issues of transformation and representation of particularly Black women in the profession, and how they navigate the legal industry in general.
Kundi Ramashia is the only black female and youngest Family Advocate in the Office of The Family Advocate, Johannesburg. Having begun her career at one of the top rated international Law Firms in the country (Hogan Lovells), Kundi has not only practiced as an attorney in private practice; but also spread her wings as a Supervising Attorney at a National legal NGO (ProBono.Org) as well as working as a National Course Coordinator for a private tertiary institution (Pearson Institute), lecturing first and second year law students.
Listen to Sisters in Conversation here
We hope this list of amazing podcasts inspire you to fight the patriarchy this month — whether that is contributing to the fight against domestic violence, getting more women into STEM fields, or calling attention to sexism in your industry.
Did we miss any of your favourite podcasts on this list? Please share them in the comments so that everyone can go an listen!
