Here are 13 podcast episodes related to gender equality and girls’ rights. Listen and be inspired by these important conversations. Most of these podcasts are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other major platforms. We’ve even created this handy Spotify playlist with all of our picks in one place. Happy listening!
1. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: “Lupe Gonzalo: Sowing seeds of change”
We’re big fans of the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls book series, so it’s no surprise we love the podcast too! This is a fairytale podcast for kids about real life extraordinary women from all over the world, and each episode explores the lives of one of the women from the books. It’s perfect to share with the young person in your life — or just enjoy on your own! Go ahead and check out this episode about Lupe, a young woman from Guatemala who became a leader and activist for farm workers’ rights.
2. TED Talks Daily: “School is just the start. Here’s how to help girls succeed for life | Angeline Murimirwa”
We all love a good TED talk, and there are quite a few that address girls’ rights and gender equality! Listen to this one to hear from Angeline Murimirwa, an education activist, on how creating a support network around girls is crucial to their success.
3. The Climate Question: “Why are women more affected by climate change?”
This podcast episode from the BBC News World Service talks about the intersection of gender and climate — and even though the title mentions women, girls are just as affected by all of the impacts they discuss. Listen to learn more about why girls and women are uniquely affected, and how we can work together to address it.
4. CaseyCast: “Naomi Wadler on raising youth voices and youth advocates”
This episode of The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s monthly podcast features young activist Naomi Wadler. She was the youngest speaker at the 2018 March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., and continues to advocate on behalf of victims of gun violence. In this episode, she talks about how parents and politicians can support young leaders, and gives aspiring young leaders advice on how to create meaningful change
5. Financial Feminist: “The economic and social cost of not supporting women”
With more women in college or the workforce than ever before, new kinds of gender inequality are emerging every day. The “Financial Feminist” podcast shares tips on managing money in a system that wasn’t exactly built for women to navigate. On this episode, host Tori Dunlap talks to two journalists about a recent report on the financial state of women today.
6. What about water? With Jay Famiglietti: “World Water Day 2023 with Autumn Peltier”
Autumn Peltier is an Indigenous rights activist from the Wiikwemkoong First Nation in Canada. Her journey started at 8 years old, when she learned that a neighboring community’s tap water wasn’t safe to drink. Now, her activism has expanded to also include a broad array of Indigenous rights, especially advocating for missing and murdered Indigenous women. In this episode of the Global Institute for Water Security’s show, she talks about what it’s like to be a young activist and how her life has changed since she started speaking out.
7. Stuff Mom Never Told You: “Fictional women around the world: Hera Syndulla”
This podcast is the feminist-focused version of the popular “Stuff You Should Know” series from iHeart Radio. Hosts Anney and Samantha talk about what it means to identify as female through almost every lens imaginable. The daily podcast also boasts a number of recurring segments, including “Feminist Movie Friday” and “Feminists Around the World.” Check out this episode from another recurring segment discussing fictional women around the world — this one focuses on Hera, a pilot in the Star Wars universe.
8. The Gray Area: “The new crisis of masculinity”
What do we expect from boys and young men, and how is that changing? This episode of the Vox podcast includes an interview with Christine Emba, a columnist at The Washington Post who wrote a piece called “Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness.” Listen to learn more about how we can redefine masculinity in a healthy way.
9. I Weigh with Jameela Jamil: “Greta Thunberg”
Jameela Jamil’s podcast explores issues of mental health and body image, often with a gender lens. In this episode, she interviews climate activist Greta Thunberg to talk about her work, as well as how she manages her mental health while being a public figure.
10. BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour: “Youngest African mayor, romanticizing your life, surviving WWII Japanese prison camp”
We love how this podcast centers the stories and voices of girls and young women. Topics are wide-ranging, from the Women’s World Cup to period practices in Nepal. Here’s one of our favorite episodes, featuring an interview with Afghanistan’s youngest female mayor, Zarifa Ghafari.
11. The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos: “Malala on burnout, guilt and how to disagree better”
This podcast is hosted by a Yale University psychology professor. In this episode, she interviews Afghan education activist Malala Yousafzai about how she deals with disappointment, finds a work/life balance and builds bridges with people she disagrees with.
12. The Pay Check: “India: Why did working women disappear?”
The first season of this investigatory podcast from Bloomberg focused on the question: Why do women still make less money than men? They’ve moved on to other topics, but the intersection of gender and the economy is still front and center. Listen to this episode to learn about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected working women in India.
13. What’sHerName: “The inaugural baller: Luisa Harris”
We love this global women’s history podcast hosted by two female academics. Think of this as a compilation of stories you didn’t learn in history class, but maybe should have! Here’s one of our favorite episodes about the young woman who scored the first basket in Olympic Women’s Basketball history.
