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empowered women

Posted on November 12, 2018

5 podcasts for the empowered woman

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If I had to choose between watching reruns of Friends and spending an evening catching up on some of my favourite podcasts then I wouldn’t hesitate in picking the latter. Filling my mind with enriching, educational and empowering podcasts, trumps (small t) the overeating and unnecessary sugar consumption that often accompanies my Netflix binges.

After subscribing to a healthy dose of podcasts such as Ted Talks Daily, Girls With Goals – to name just a few – I have found a lot of solace in hearing different stories and lived experiences by women who probably aren’t very different to me.

The hosts of these podcasts speak comfortably and confidently, I don’t get the impression that they are afraid of exercising their right to be heard – something I’ve been struggling with lately.

Each podcast offers open and honest discussions about everything from career to spirituality to…vaginal discharge – you know who you are!

So without further ado, here are my top 5 podcast recommendations for the empowered woman – a label I’ll let you define for yourself 🙂

1. Almost 30 Podcast

Almost 30 Podcast is probably one of the first podcasts I started listening to and now that I am pushing thirty, I think it’s safe to say that it is one of the few that I can resonate the most with. I consider myself to be quite a spiritual person, someone who values self development. Personal growth is one of the main themes running in this podcast, along with wellness and entrepreneurship.

Notable episodes:

  • Ep. 129 – How to become a Rich B*tch: The Language of Money , Dealing with Debt + Negotiating Everything with Nicole Lapin. Listen here.
  • Ep. 142 – What is White Privilege? Waking Up to Our Unconscious Biases with Thais Sky. Listen here.
  • Ep. 154 – The Sacredness of Being Single With Lindsey. Listen here.

 

2. Guys We F*****

Although Guys We F***** is a fairly new addition to my subscription list, I have a lot of appreciation for the few episodes that I have listened to. The anti-slut shaming podcast celebrates female sexuality while not solely focusing on the presumed obvious (sex). But if you are a sexually liberated female who doesn’t believe a woman’s body count is directly linked to whether or not she respects herself, then this one is for you.

Trigger alert: be prepared for a lot of cursing. And I mean, a lot.

Notable episodes:

  • Am I Just F****** Crazy? with Amanda Knox. Listen here.
  • Did Kevin Spacey Touch Your D***? Listen here. 

3. It Galz

It Galz is a one of a kind Irish podcast hosted by two incredible women who never shy away from speaking their truth. The recently renounced feminists have honest discourse around the Irish blogging industry, pop culture and the fickle nature of online dating. The fact that my girl Mai does the soundtrack for this show is just the cherry on top! 😉

Notable episodes:

  • Ep. 53 – The Reality of Online Trolling with Fiona Hamilton. Listen here.
  • Ep. 55 – The Rage Against The Dating Machine. Listen here.
  • Ep. 57 – Bitches With Boundaries. Listen here.
  • Ep. 58 – Female Empowerment…or Exploitation. Listen here.
  • Ep. 63 – F*** Feminism…? Listen here.

4. Oprah’s Supersoul Conversations

Just when we thought queen Oprah gave us everything she possible could she went and launched this podcast for us. This is genuinely one of the most thought provoking podcasts I have ever come across. The conversations are pulled from the Super Soul Sunday show and some interviews are recordered exclusively for the podcast. If you like deep and truly philosophical discussions then this one is for you!

Notable Episodes:

  • Brene Brown: Rising Strong. Listen here.
  • Mitch Landrieu: A White Southerner Confronts History. Listen here.
  • Elie Wiesel: Living with an Open Heart. Listen here.

5. The High Low

The High Low podcast nourishes every single fiber of my being – no exaggeration. Okay, maybe I’m slightly exaggerating. Nonetheless, I think both Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes are the epitome of class and grace in a woman and they embody everything I aspire to be as a writer.

Both women have such an eloquent way of speaking and before you say anything, I should note that I would think the same if we removed their middle class English accents out of the equation #JustSayin

Every time I listen to an episode of The High Low I learn a new word – if you know me personally then you would know that learning new words mean a great deal to me as I’m a bit of a word nut! 🙂

The High Low gals have intellectual conversations around current affairs and pop culture and since I have yet to find a disappointing episode of this mind-stimulating show, I will refrain from narrowing down my suggestions to just one or two episodes.

Each and every single episode has offered me something I wasn’t even aware I needed. Yes, I think Dolly and Pandora are a powerful duo but I also believe they are both inspirational in their own right.

I genuinely cannot recommend this podcast enough!

Listen to The High Low podcast here.

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If you have any podcast recommendations, I would love to know what they are! Feel free to tweet me @FilomenaKaguako 🙂

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‘Women should support women’ – a flawed feminist concept?

Uncovered

I’ve been in two minds about publishing this piece. I mean, how can I not be? The post-truth era of today is making it increasingly difficult for curious thinkers to have open discourse about important issues. Often times, those who seek out the truth – or at least, their understanding of the truth are branded as ignorant, behind with the times or dare I say, ‘bigots.’

Having been in a position where my own views were misconstrued, I am now very wary about how I express my opinions online. So as a disclaimer, I think it is important to note that this blog is not about discrediting feminism or the efforts of the feminist activists. This blog is about critically looking at some of the standards that are set on women by other women who claim to be members of a movement that is rooted in freedom of choice.

Shall we begin then?

I think mainstream media portrays modern feminism in a way that makes it toxic and full of intellectual inconsistencies. For instance, women who choose to wear the burqa are seen as oppressed, but then women who willingly strut their stuff for a living as grid girls are thought to be in an inappropriate line of work. There seems to be a mixed criteria for who qualifies as a feminist, even within the feminist movement.

I’ve always had a warped impression of the word feminist.  In many ways, I feel that the label has become incredibly tainted overtime. The negative stereotypes attached to the title are even resulting in less and less women identifying as feminist, despite having feminist ideals.

According to a recent poll from Refinery29 and CBS News, about 54% of young women say they do not identify as feminists. Some even believe that there is no need for the current feminist movement at all.

I personally do believe there is a place for feminism today, particularly in Third World countries. However, my growing disillusionment with feminism in Western civilisation is making me increasingly critical of the movement as a whole. Like when I hear the often feminist buzz phrase ‘women should support women,’ I find it incredibly unsettling. There is just something about the word ‘should’ in that sentence that doesn’t sit well with me.

I am someone who champions individuality and thinks there is no shame in embracing the characteristics and attributes that make a person unique. In my thinking, there is an underlying prejudice that exists within the phrase ‘women should support women,’ because it insinuates that being a woman is the only prerequisite for why females should support one another.

I think this immediately disregards important attributes possessed by women that make us valuable candidates for support. It frames women as weak and it fails to acknowledge us as the strong, capable beings that we most definitely are.

I want to be supported based on my merit, not based on my genitalia. I want to know that I am getting a person’s support because they believe in me as a person, not because of my gender. I want your support because your values align with mine.

I believe that women have many wonderful characteristics that make us worthy of support and blindly supporting a  woman just because she is female ignores this.

Women are complex, intelligent creatures that deserve support not for being women but for being exceptional ones.

Granted, supporting anyone in their endeavors is always a positive development. But I can’t help but wonder if the forced nature of ‘women should support women’ goes against feminism, or at least feminism in its true sense.

Riddle me this…

That was funny. But I meant this…

If feminism is about men and women deserving equal rights and separating a person’s gender from their value, worth and place in society because of the idea that men and women are both the same, then isn’t it a bit contradictory to let a person’s sex be the deciding factor for why you support them?

And if feminism is about freedom of choice and women making choices for themselves, then doesn’t the imposing nature of ‘women should support women,’ strip us away of both our choices and ability to think independently? Worth thinking about!

Bottom line, if a person’s decision to support someone centers around gender then I think it diminishes their values, work ethic and merit – all the things that I imagine, would make someone worthy of support.

‘Women should support women’ is reductive and places a woman’s value on gender. My gender is not the whole sum of me and yours shouldn’t be either – see what I just did there? 😉

You are more than your gender, ladies.

Yes, empowered women, empower girls. But it is also true that empowered people, empower everyone.

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