What Girls Want: A Podcast

Episode 41 - Beyond the Algorithm: Feminist Tech, Power, and Possibility

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:00:00 -0500

What does it mean to create digital spaces rooted in joy, care, and liberation? In this episode, we center feminist digital creativity, from storytelling and visual art to movement-led tech innovation, as powerful strategies for advocacy and connection. In this conversation with Amna Nasir we explore how feminist approaches to technology can disrupt harm, amplify marginalized voices, and build solidarity across borders and generations. At a time of growing digital violence and shrinking civic space, this conversation offers a bold vision for feminist futures online.

Episode 40 - Who Is Responsible and why do girls rights remain dispensable? FGM, Governance Gaps, and Feminist Justice

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Rather than framing FGM as a cultural practice, this episode interrogates it as a failure of governance, public health systems, and political will. The discussion explores how weak enforcement, cross-border dynamics, medicalisation, and underfunded prevention efforts perpetuate harm and what state accountability, survivor-centred responses, and feminist policy change should look like.

Episode 39 - Unsafe Online: The New Battleground for Gender Justice

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

In this episode featuring Marylize Biubwa, we dive deep into the rising wave of digital violence targeting feminist and queer activists around the world. From harassment and threats to coordinated disinformation campaigns, online spaces have become powerful tools for silencing those who challenge patriarchy, homophobia, and authoritarianism.

We explore why outspoken women and LGBTQI+ leaders — especially those stepping into public or political roles — face such intense digital abuse, and how these attacks are reshaping who gets to participate, lead, and be heard.

The conversation also unpacks the emotional and mental health toll of sustained online harassment, the burnout and fear activists navigate, and the ways they continue to show up with courage and conviction. We discuss what collective protection looks like in digital spaces, how feminist organisations can better respond to trauma and safety needs, and why solidarity networks are essential when someone is targeted online.

Finally, we imagine new forms of digital resistance and alternative strategies for visibility and influence — especially when corporate platforms become unsafe, restricted, or heavily monitored.

This episode is a call to rethink safety, care, and feminist solidarity in an increasingly hostile digital world — and to honour the resilience of those who refuse to be silenced.

Episode 38 - Choice, Consent, and Control: What Bodily Autonomy Really Means

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we have a critical conversation about bodily autonomy, the right to make decisions about one’s own body, free from coercion, discrimination, or violence.

Our guest, Lily Dong Li Rosengard, shares her insights on the importance of bodily autonomy for gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and social justice. We explore the ways systemic barriers, cultural norms, and policy gaps impact people’s ability to fully exercise control over their own bodies and why defending these rights is essential for building equitable societies.

Tune in for a powerful discussion about choice, freedom, and feminist leadership and what it takes to reclaim autonomy in our everyday lives.

Episode 37 - Breaking the Silence on Endometriosis: Stories, Struggles, and Strength

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we explore a condition that affects millions of women and gender-diverse people worldwide but remains widely misunderstood and under-discussed: endometriosis.

Our guest, Malebo Mukhari, shares her personal journey with endometriosis, shedding light on the challenges of diagnosis, treatment, and living with a chronic condition. Together, we discuss the broader implications for girls', women and gender-diverse people's health; gender equality; and access to care; and why breaking the silence around menstrual health is a crucial feminist issue.

Tune in for an honest, informative, and empowering conversation about navigating healthcare, advocating for yourself, and reclaiming your body.

Episode 36 - Raising Her Voice: Olive Nazziwa and Uganda’s Young Feminist Movement

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we head to Uganda to meet Olive Nazziwa, ATHENA’s #WhatGirlsWant focal point — a passionate advocate for adolescent girls’ rights, SRHR, and gender equality. Olive is part of a vibrant generation of young feminists leading movements for bodily autonomy, access to health services, and the right of girls and gender-diverse people to live free from violence and discrimination.

Join us as Olive shares her journey into activism, the challenges and triumphs of youth-led organizing in Uganda, and her vision for a world where young people — especially girls — have the power to make decisions about their bodies, futures, and lives.

Because when we listen to what girls want, we build the feminist futures we all need.

Episode 35 - Beyond Access: Reclaiming Contraceptive Choice and Autonomy

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0400

In this episode of #WhatGirlsWant: A Podcast by the ATHENA Network, we explore the realities of access to contraceptives, a key part of sexual and reproductive health and rights that too often remains out of reach for many girls, young women, and gender-diverse people.

Our guest, Warona George, is a passionate advocate for bodily autonomy and youth-led access to health services. Together, we unpack what contraceptive access really looks like on the ground, from navigating stigma and misinformation, to pushing for policies that respect choice and dignity.

Warona shares powerful reflections on why contraception is more than just a health issue — it’s about agency, justice, and freedom. This conversation dives deep into how feminist movements are fighting to ensure that everyone, everywhere, has the right and ability to make informed decisions about their own bodies.

Tune in for an honest, empowering discussion about choice, access, and the future of SRHR.

Episode 34 - Feminist Futures Are Abortion-Positive

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0400

Across Africa, young women and gender-diverse people continue to face stigma, criminalisation, and systemic barriers when seeking care that should be their right. But despite these challenges, activists and communities are organizing, educating, and demanding change.

Our guest, Mpho Masimong, is a fearless advocate for reproductive justice and gender equality. In this conversation, Mpho shares insights from their activism, the lived realities of those denied care, and the importance of centering bodily autonomy and feminist solidarity in the fight for safe, legal, and accessible abortion services.

Join us as we unpack what true reproductive freedom looks like — and what it will take to make it real for everyone.

Episode 33 - Leading with Courage: Puseletso Mpeisa and the Voices of Lesotho’s Girls

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we travel to the Kingdom of Lesotho to meet Puseletso Mpeisa, ATHENA’s #WhatGirlsWant focal point. Puseletso Mpeisa is a dynamic advocate working at the intersections of gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and youth leadership. She’s part of a powerful generation of young Basotho women and activists redefining what it means to lead with courage, community, and care.

We’ll hear from Puseletso about her advocacy journey, the realities facing girls and young women in Lesotho, and what it truly means to create spaces where young people can lead and be heard.

Let’s dive in and listen to #WhatGirlsWant in Lesotho, and beyond.

Episode 32 - Affirming Futures: The Fight for Gender-Affirming Healthcare

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we’re diving into a crucial conversation about gender-affirming healthcare — what it means, why it matters, and how it connects to our broader fight for bodily autonomy, dignity, and justice. Across the world, trans and gender-diverse people continue to face barriers, stigma, and violence in accessing care that affirms who they are. Yet, gender-affirming healthcare isn’t special treatment, it’s essential healthcare, rooted in human rights.

Joining us for this important discussion is Zara Xaba, a passionate advocate for trans rights and inclusive health systems. Together, we’ll explore the lived realities of trans and gender-diverse communities, the role of feminist movements in advancing affirming care, and what it takes to build health systems that truly care for all of us.

Let’s get into it.

Episode 31 - 30 Years After Beijing: Feminist Struggles, Shifting Movements

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0400

In this special episode of #WhatGirlsWant: A Podcast, we mark the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action with an intergenerational conversation between two Kenyan feminist activists, Rachael Mwikali and Esther Mwaura.

Rachel has been organising and mobilising for over three decades, long before the Beijing commitments were set. Easter began her activism in the years that followed. Together, they reflect on how the feminist movement has shifted and transformed — and how, despite these changes, many of our core struggles remain.

This dialogue is both reflective and forward-looking: a powerful reminder of the legacies we inherit, the challenges we continue to confront, and the futures we are building.

Episode 30 - Code, Culture, and Control: A Feminist Conversation on AI

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0400

In this episode we dive into the rapidly evolving world of generative AI through a feminist lens. Our guest, Alpha Androgenius – a fashion designer, thinker, and activist at the intersections of technology, gender, and culture – unpacks how AI is reshaping creativity, identity, and power. Together, we explore the risks of bias and exclusion coded into AI systems, and the possibilities for reimagining these tools as liberatory, feminist technologies.

From challenging the dominance of patriarchal tech cultures to envisioning AI that reflects diverse voices, bodies, and experiences, this conversation asks: what does it mean to build and use AI that truly serves our communities?

Episode 29 - The Silent Wound: Mental Health in Crisis Situations

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Crises, whether conflict, climate disasters, or pandemics, leave deep scars, not only on our communities but also on our mental well-being. Too often, mental health is sidelined in emergency responses, leaving girls, young women, and LGBTQI+ people to cope alone with trauma, anxiety, and loss.

In this episode, we spoke with Natasha Chilambo, who reflects on mental health challenges in the midst of crisis, building community resilience, and advocating for mental health to be treated as a human right, not a luxury.

Episode 28 - SRHR, Disability, and the Right to Be Seen

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0400

On this episode, we dive into a vital but often overlooked topic: the intersection of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and disability.

Around the world, people with disabilities, especially women, girls, and LGBTQI+ people, face systemic barriers to accessing SRHR services, information, and decision-making spaces. Stigma, discrimination, and assumptions that deny people with disabilities autonomy, desires, and rights compound these barriers. This episode sheds light on how disability rights and SRHR are deeply interconnected.

This episode highlights:

• What inclusive SRHR looks like in practice

• Challenging harmful myths around disability and sexuality

• The role of feminist movements in advancing disability justice

• Practical recommendations for making SRHR programming and advocacy truly accessible

Meet Oyedayo

Oyedayo is an intersectional feminist evangelist. She lives and works at the intersection of gender, disability, and sexuality. She is the Regional Community Engagement and Partnership Lead at the International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region, where she is dedicated to amplifying the experiences of historically marginalized communities, moving them from the margins to the center.

Oyedayo believes in making space, and grounds her work. In the words of Audre Lorde: “Without community, there is no liberation.” Committed to inclusion, diversity, and belonging, she finds joy in naming the stories of real people, illuminating the depth and power of their narratives.

Episode 27 - Healing Beyond Empire: Decolonising healthcare systems from a feminist approachca

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Colonial legacies continue to shape the healthcare systems that impact girls, women, and marginalised communities globally particularly countries in the global majority. However, what does decolonising healthcare systems really mean, and why is it so urgent, particularly withing the context of the UASAID freeze and Dutch, Swiss and Belgian funding cuts?

In the latest episode of #WhatGirlsWant: A Podcast, we dive deep into these critical questions with Yumnah Hattas from Frontline AIDS. Together, we unpack:

•The meaning of decolonising healthcare systems and its importance.

•How colonial healthcare legacies still shape access to care today.

•Intersectionality as a key approach for decolonisation.

•The real-life impacts of colonial healthcare structures on girls and women.

•How feminist movements are leading the fight to challenge and dismantle these oppressive systems.

We find ourselves at a time when human rights, justice and the hard earned gains made by feminists are being threatened calling for bold action, unity and critical interrogation into how colonial healthcare legacies continue facilitate the oppression of marginalised communities.

Yumnah Hattas is a globally recognized leader in gender justice, public health, and human rights advocacy, with over 23 years of experience in program management, policy influence, and multi-stakeholder engagement. She has successfully led multi-million-dollar programs, spearheaded groundbreaking health initiatives, and driven transformative advocacy on global platforms such as Women Deliver, ICASA, and the International AIDS Conference.

As Senior Advisor Gender and SRHR at Frontline AIDS, Yumnah has led gender-transformative strategies, anti-rights advocacy, and intersectional programming across 100+ countries. Previously, she served as Executive Director of JARID International, where she led multi-country SRHR and LGBTQ+ rights initiatives, and as Deputy PEPFAR Coordinator, where she managed a $590 million program and established the Locally Employed Staff Committee to advance equitable policies.

Her work has contributed to key regional frameworks, including the SADC Model Law on Child Marriages, the Maputo Plan of Action, and the South African Adolescent SRHR Framework. Passionate about anti-racism and combating anti-gender movements, she continues to champion inclusive policies that amplify marginalized voices.

A sought-after speaker, moderator, and thought leader, Yumnah has facilitated and presented at high-profile global events and hosts podcasts tackling gender, climate, and health equity. She holds a Master’s in Gender, Religion, and Health, a Bachelor of Nursing, and multiple leadership certifications.

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone passionate about health justice, gender equality, and transformative change.

Episode 26 - Climate Change & SRHR, what, and where are the intersections?????– A Feminist Perspective

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 08:00:00 -0500

We're tackling the intersection between the urgency of addressing climate change and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) with our guest, Sihle Motsa — an advocate passionate about feminist climate justice.

In this episode, we explore:
- How climate change impacts SRHR, from migration to healthcare access
- The rise in gender-based violence during climate crises
- The link between food insecurity and reproductive rights
- Ecofeminism and the role of conscious consumerism in driving change

It’s a conversation that centers feminist solutions and community power in the fight for climate and reproductive justice. Don’t miss it!

Episode 25 - A Conversation on Ending FGM as a form of Gender Based Violence

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 06:00:00 -0500

On this day, ATHENA Network brings you a powerful new episode of #WhatGirlsWant: A Podcast featuring Ayo Bello, affectionately known as Ayo, a Nigerian feminist and FGM activist.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the realities of FGM exploring:
Different forms of FGM and the prevalence in Nigeria and beyond
The devastating impact on the lives of girls and women
The intersections of FGM with poverty and global warming
The urgent need for community education
Barriers created by inaccessible funding
The glorification of FGM
The fight for bodily autonomy
Policies and interventions necessary to end this harmful practice once and for all.

At ATHENA, we believe that FGM is a violation of women's and girls' human rights, we categorically call it out as one of the widespread and extreme form of gender-based violence. This day and beyond, we should all commit to GBV-free societies!!!!

Join us as we amplify the voices leading the charge against FGM and demand a future where all girls can live free from harm.

Ayo Bello

Ayo is a survivor of FGM and Co-founder of the largest end-FGM movement in the world - The frontline end-FGM movement which operates in 16 countries to support thousands of activists to end FGM. Ayodeji is the Executive Director and Founder of Initiative For Girls' Rights and Health Development, a community-based non-profit headquartered in Osun state, Nigeria focused on weakening harmful social and cultural practices affecting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls. Ayo is a staunch anti-FGM Media campaigner with lots of success stories of making the lives of girls and women better. She has progressive leadership experience in grassroots advocacy, campaigning, communications, project management, community mobilization, conflict resolution, and counselling.

Episode 24 - Gender-Based Violence in Healthcare Systems

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0500

As part of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, we’re excited to announce a powerful new episode of our podcast.

In this episode, we dive into the pervasive yet often overlooked issue of gender-based violence (GBV) within healthcare systems. From dismissive attitudes and discriminatory practices to outright abuse, healthcare spaces can sometimes become sites of harm instead of healing—especially for women, girls, and LBTQI+ people.

Our guest Motlalepula Garises from Namibia. Together, we explored:

- The hidden dynamics of GBV in healthcare.

- How systemic inequalities worsen these issues.

- Stigma and discrimination

- Inaccessible healthcare services and facilities

- Strategies for creating safer, more inclusive healthcare systems.

This episode isn’t just a conversation—it’s a call to action. Let’s challenge the status quo and demand accountability in systems meant to protect and care for us.

Episode 23 - Rising Against the Tide: Feminism vs. Anti-Rights Movements

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0400

On this episode we spoke to ATHENA’s Young Women’s Advocacy Program Officer Irene Ogeta from Kenya about the growing anti-rights, anti-gender and anti-choice movement.

We reflected on:

What the anti-rights movement is

How the anti-rights movement is contributing to increasing gender equality

How the opposition affects sexual reproductive health and rights, and progress made with reducing HIV transmissions

How #WhatGirlsWant are monitoring the opposition and resisting

Intersectional feminist approaches to resistance

Episode 22 - Technology facilitated gender-based violence: an evolving pandemic

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 09:00:00 -0400

On this episode we spoke to Baleseng Maeneche from South Africa!

We reflected on and unpacked:

What is technology based GBV and the different ways it manifests
How gender-based violence and stereotypes manifest in media representations?
The politics of genocide, violence and erasure
How technology facilitated gender-based violence contributes to gendered inequalities
The disproportionate violence adolescent girls, young women and young gender-diverse people face online
Creating social media platforms and mechanisms that can prevent and reduce online gender-based violence
Safeguarding tips we can adopt to protected ourselves online

Baleseng is a PhD student in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of the Western Cape. Her research interests encompass feminist media studies and decolonial perspectives, with a strong commitment to advancing gender equality and social justice. She is also a graduate lecturing assistant and researcher on the multinational, EU-funded RE-Wiring Representations project within WGS. When she isn’t tackling the mammoth task of writing a PhD thesis you’ll find her dancing, getting lost in her favourite series or on her yoga mat.

Episode 21 - Economic Justice is a feminist issues: a young feminists perspective on Kenya’s #RejectFinanceBill2024

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0400

On this episode we spoke to Justine Wanda from Kenya!

We reflected on and unpacked:

Kenya’s 2023 and 2024 Finance Bills and how they affect Kenyans
The #RejectFinanceBill2024 protests, direct action and the power of youth taking the lead
The gendered implications of the 2024 Finance Bill
Kenya’s public debt, corruption and sustainable development
Police brutality and classism
How the 2024 Finance Bill threatens the prospects of ending gendered inequalities

Justine Wanda is a standup comedian, satirist and writer. She’s proficient in dark and observational humour and has appeared on Showmax’s Roast House and Comedy Riot. Justine has also performed on various stages around the continent. She’s the creator of a web satire series called Fake Woke With Justine that provides hilarious commentary on the Kenyan social, economic and political experience.

Episode 20 - Mapping SRHR issues in Southern Africa

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 10:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we spoke to Thato Thinyana, a fierce feminist activist from the Kingdom of Lesotho!

We reflected on and unpacked the following:

SRHR challenges that create healthcare barriers for AGYW and young gender-diverse people across Southern Africa
Challenges that arise as a result of fragmentations in the SRHR movement
What do we mean when we speak about an inclusive and feminist SRHR movement
Policy-making, designing and implementing sustainable SRHR interventions
Countering the anti-rights, anti-choice and anti-gender movement
Meaningful youth engagement in matters related to SRHR
Hope and love as strategies for resistance

Thato Thinyane is a Queer womanist thinker, organizer, and campaigner based in the Kingdom of Lesotho. As the LBQ Advocacy Coordinator at the People’s Matrix Association and a Co-coordinator of the SADC LBQ Network, they are at the forefront of advocating for the rights of lesbian, bisexual, and queer women in the region. I have an academic background in politics, philosophy, and international relations, as well as expertise in SRHR, GESI, and QAQI. Thato is skilled in crafting effective policy advocacy, building strong communities, and fostering social movements. They live by the motto “do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercifully, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”

Episode 19 - Disability Justice is Feminist Justice

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0400

On this episode, we spoke to two feminist disability activists Nyasha Maseruka from Zimbabwe and Makgosi Letimile from South Africa.

They reflected on their experiences as women with disabilities; the lack of access to healthcare services and other basic services; stigma and discrimination; peer education as a source of empowerment; pleasure as a healing tool; access intimacy; transformative justice; pleasure and healing; barriers to accessing education; and, dating as a disabled as a disabled woman.

Episode 18 - The ‘I’ in LBTQI+

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we spoke to two intersex activists Nwangwu Ogechukwu Edora, also known as Kay, from Nigeria and Sammie Macjessie from Malawi!

We reflected on and unpacked their personal experiences as intersex people; the experiences of intersex people in Nigeria and Malawi; how the feminist movement can be more inclusive of intersex people and their experiences; the effects of the anti-choice, anti-gender and anti-rights movement on the experiences of intersex people; stigma and discrimination; the marginalisation and erasure of intersex people; harmful cultural practices and myths and, the underrepresentation of intersex people within the LGBTQI+ community.

Episode 17 - Bridging the gap: HIV treatment for everyone!

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 06:00:00 -0400

We spoke to Teresia, ATHENA’s partnership and Capacity Strengthening Advisor in this episode. And Zoe, the Tanzanian #WhatGirlsWant focal point.

They reflected on how the HIV movement landscape has changed and evolved over the years; challenges people living with HIV face today; the importance of intergenerational partnerships and collaborations; the different experiences of adolescent girls, young women and young gender-diverse people living with HIV face in contrast to the experiences of women and gender-diverse people of menopausal age living with HIV; gaps in research; movement building; intersecting crises; and, gender-based violence and early forced marriage.

Episode 15 - Sex Work Is Work

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Sex work refers to services provided to clients where the exchange of sex, sexual acts and/or intimacy are negotiated for payment or gifts. Sex work is always consensual and between consenting adults. It is not always physical or done in person. Different forms of sex work include pornographic film acting, peepshow performers, escort services, sexual surrogates, phone sex, sexting, cam work and physical sex among others.

Sex work is often misunderstood and misrepresented. Although there are sex workers who turn to sex work out of the need to earn a livelihood – the same reason most of us work even when we’d rather not and even when we don’t always enjoy our jobs. Not all sex workers do it only for survival. There are plenty of sex workers who enjoy the vocation. Choosing to do sex work is an active decision made about one’s body, autonomy, time and a means of securing one’s livelihood. Sex workers create opportunities for their clients to explore their desires and pleasure. Conflating sex work with human trafficking undermines sex work as work, perpetuates harmful stereotypes and discrimination, and overlooks sex workers’ abilities to make choices.

On this episode we will be speaking to Anita, affectionately known as Pam, from South Africa and Nyarath from Kenya. They will be shedding light on the experiences of sex work under criminalisation.

Episode 11 - Meet our new #WhatGirlsWant focal points Nadene and Chukwuma

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 09:00:00 -0400

On this episode we introduce you to two of our phenomenal new #WhatGirlsWant focal points. Nadene Msekiwa from Zimbabwe and Ngozichukwu Chukwuma from Nigeria!

We unpack and journey with them on their feminist journey, explore intersectional feminism and the inclusion of LBTQIA+ people, the painful consequences of the lack of access to safe abortion services, the power of storytelling as an advocacy tool, and the need for improvement of access to contraception, among other topics. We also include some of the community-based projects they're spearheading to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescent young women and girls in their diversity

Tune in to listen to the full podcast and get to know these incredible feminists and sexual reproductive health and rights experts.

Episode 14 - Meet our new #WhatGirlsWant focal point Lilian Mbuthi

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0400

On this episode we will be speaking to one of our focal points, Lilian Mbuthi our #WhatGirlsWant country focal point from Kenya.

We spoke about gendered glass ceilings, the gendered impacts of the floods; how the anti-rights, anti-gender and anti-choice movement is thriving through misinformation campaigns; coalition building; the power of collaborations and partnerships; and the power of intergenerational alliances.

Tune in to listen to the full podcast and get to know this incredible feminist.

Don't forget to share this episode and subscribe.

Episode 13 - Meet our new #WhatGirlsWant focal points Christina and Welisane

Tue, 28 May 2024 09:00:00 -0400

On today's episode we spoke to two feminist activists and #WhatGirlsWant focal points. Welisane from Cameroon and Christina from Tanzania.

They reflected on their experiences as feminist activists; misconceptions about feminism; gendered glass ceilings; patriarchal norms; how political unrest disrupts sexual reproductive health and HIV responses; mobilisation strategies; using technology and social media to amplify our activism; and, the importance of working with religious and cultural leaders to cultivate change.

Tune in to listen to the full podcast and get to know these incredible feminists and sexual reproductive health and rights experts.

Episode 12 - Meet our new #WhatGirlsWant focal points Nadia and Esenam

Tue, 21 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

On today’s episode we spoke to two feminist activists and #WhatGirlsWant focal points. Nadia April from Namibia and Esenam Amuza from Ghana.

They reflected on what inspired them to become feminists; the importance of research to drive evidence-based advocacy; the implications of the lack of education and information about sexual reproductive health and rights; harmful cultural gendered norms and practices; the experiences of Khoisan girls, women and gender-diverse people; the interconnectedness of our struggles; period poverty and why it is important to unpack and understand different forms of violence.

Tune in to listen to the full podcast and get to know these incredible feminists and sexual reproductive health and rights experts.

Understanding Poverty & HIV From An Intersectional Feminist Perspective

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 18:00:00 -0400

For IWD 2024, ATHENA Network, in partnership with UNAIDS and UN Women, co-hosted a virtual intergenerational dialogue. The conversation spotlighted the gendered implications and intersections between poverty, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and other structural drivers of gender inequality. We wanted to explore how the feminist movement can play a role in pushing for policies and practices that uplift women's rights and advance a gender-transformative HIV response.

The conversation unpacked how feminists from Eastern and Southern Africa are contending with the trends and conspiring across generations in what we see as the "fourth wave" of feminist organizing. We reflected on input from young feminists from the Western and Central Africa region for cross-regional cross-pollination. Young feminists Christina Mwakisole, Zoe Nakamba, Nantaba Shamirah Faith, Welisane Maagbor and Ngozichukwu Chukwuma were in dialogue with Anne Githuku-Shongwe, the Regional Director for UNAIDS East and Southern Africa, who has worked regionally and globally with technical experts on HIV programming through a gender lens.

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Episode 10 -Spite Keeps Me Going

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 18:00:00 -0400

On this episode Yvonne Mudthoni from Kenya and Godiva Akullo from Uganda discussed the recently enacted Ugandan anti-gay bill, the different ways criminalising homosexuality and homosexual acts affect people’s lives and experiences, colonialism and how our guests continue to find the will to mobilise despite constantly having to navigate violence.

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Episode 9 - Falling Through The Cracks

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 18:00:00 -0400

On this episode our guests Nonkosi Xaba from South Africa and Amera Mojahed from Saudi Arabia reflected on how we can use feminist research to understand systemic forms of oppression and suppression so that we can address them from the root; how we can use feminist research to decentralise power and knowledge; and how we can use feminist research as a tool for illuminating the voices and experiences of people who often fall through the cracks.

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Episode 8 - Funding That Brings Us Joy: Feminist funding for AGYW and young gender-diverse people-led organisations and interventions

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 14:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we explore the funding landscape for feminist organisations. We speak about how the lack of funding and resource mobilisation skills affect our organisations, how funding can be used to decentralise power by supporting the work we do, what feminist funding looks like, and why it is important to fund feminist organisations.

Irene Garoes from Namibia and Afia Precious Simpande from Zambia joined us to discuss funding for feminist organisations particularly those run by girls, young women, and gender-diverse people.

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Episode 7 - Like Candy Floss: Communal care for AGYW and gender-diverse feminist activists and feminist movement building

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

In the first episode of season two we respond to new patterns of movement and resistance by exploring the nuances of care and self-preservation for feminists within movements. We explore how feminists and feminist movements can reject the fractured commodified individualistic care and adopt care strategies and models that are holistic and communal.

Xina Scullard from South Africa and Elidah Maita from Kenya joined us to discuss ethics of care, self-preservation, feminist movement building, and everything else in between.

Xena is a queer feminist organizer and facilitator who wears many hats. Her work focuses on the intersections between race, identity displacement, and queer feminist movement strengthening. She centers queer politics as a way of being and a feminist tool to problematize the status quo and imagine alternative subversive futures. She is the director of Shakura Consulting which is grounded on queer feminist purpose-driven collaborative work. She is the co-founder and convenor of Queer Feminist Film Festival (QFFF) which is an intergenerationally led queer feminist culture creation and celebratory space. She is also an Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity and a Global Atlantic Fellow.
Reach out to her on LinkedIn or via info@shakuraconsult.com

Maita is an ardent, active, and bold feminist advocate, community volunteer and the Kenyan focal point for ATHENA's flagship programme #WhatGirlsWant. They are passionate about advocating for human rights for girls, women, and gender-diverse people. Through their work, they honour their commitment to creating safer spaces and mobilising vulnerable and marginalised people. They are a volunteer for Positive Young Women Voices where they advocate for access to sexual reproductive health and rights and information. Maita is well-versed in community mobilising, digital advocacy, sensitising communities, and peer facilitating.

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Episode 6 - Feminist digital activism

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 01:00:00 -0500

Digital activism refers to the use of electronic communication technologies such as social media, e-mail, and podcasts for various forms of activism to enable faster and more effective communication and mobilising. ATHENA has been tapping into the power and potential of digital activism to amplify the voices and experiences of AGYW and young gender-diverse people in Eastern and Southern Africa.

We spoke to Afia Simpande from Zambia and Gorata Chengeta from Botswana to find out how they have used digital activism.
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Episode 5 - intergenerational, multilateral, and intersectional partnerships, responses, and proactive interventions to end GBV

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0500

According to UNFPA, The East and Southern Africa region has high rates of sexual violence against girls, women and gender-diverse people. In seven countries, around 20 % of those aged 15 to 24 years reported they had experienced sexual violence from an intimate partner. Sexual violence against early adolescents aged 15 years and below is highest in the conflict and post-conflict countries.

Fahe Kerubo from Kenya and Thoko from South Africa speak about the importance of intergenerational, multilateral, and intersectional partnerships, responses, and proactive interventions to end GBV.

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Episode 4 - Improving HIV and STI prevention, testing, and treatment for adolescent girls, young women and gender-diverse people in Eastern and Southern Africa

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0400

AGYW and gender-diverse people in Eastern and Southern Africa are among those most affected and vulnerable to HIV transmissions. According to UNAIDS in 2020 they accounted for 50% of people living with HIV and 6 in seven new infections among adolescents between 15 and 19 years. Also, around 4 200 AGYW and gender-diverse people are infected with HIV every week.

Increasing access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care that is targeted at them is critical for ending AIDS as a global health crisis, improving their well-being and protecting their sexual reproductive health and rights.

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Decolonising Aid, feminist funding and ensuring those doing the work are resourced

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0400

The debate on decolonisation of global health and funding has become increasingly prominent over the last couple of years. ATHENA Network’s Director of Programmes Catherine Nyambura spoke to Emma Holten about decolonising aid. What it means within a feminist context. What power works. And rebalancing the power between funders and grantees to ensure that support and resources go to those doing the work.

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Episode 3 - Adolescent girls, young women and gender diverse people in Eastern and Southern Africa accessing contraception services and information

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 16:00:00 -0400

Adolescent girls, young women and gender diverse people in Eastern and Southern Africa experience difficulties in accessing contraception services and a lack of knowledge regarding to the different options available. This is a result of negative social norms and the lack of comprehensive sexuality education.

#WhatGirlsWant Lilian Benjamin Mwakyosi from the United Republic of Tanzania and Nyasha Museruka from Zimbabwe join us to unpack the experiences of adolescent girls, young women and gender diverse people and accessing contraceptives.

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Episode 2 - Adolescent girls and young women navigating gender and sexuality in Eastern and Southern Africa

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 11:00:00 -0400

Although there has been a global rise in advocacy aimed at promoting and protecting LGBTQIA+ people’s rights there is still a lot of work to be done, particularly on the African continent. More than half of African countries have outlawed homosexuality, bisexuality and being trans or gender-diverse. Adolescent girls and young women continue to mobilise and put on governments to acknowledge the unique experiences and needs of LBTQIA+ people.

ATHENA #WhatGirlsWant focal points Elidah Maita from Kenya and our communications lead Mamello Sejake from South Africa joined us to discuss gender and sexuality diversity.

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Episode 1 - The impact of COVID on adolescent girls and young women’s menstrual health across Eastern and Southern Africa

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 02:00:00 -0400

Across the African continent, menstruation remains covered in shame, ignorance and misconceptions. This reality negatively affects the dignity, education and health of people who menstruate. Many of them are isolated when they are menstruating, and subjected to harmful cultural and religious practices, and stigma.
ATHENA #WhatGirlsWant focal points Nthabeleng Tsekalle from Lesotho and Robinah Babirye from Uganda joined us to discuss menstrual health.
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Episode 0 - Trailer

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 13:00:00 -0400

Introducing a new podcast, #WhatGirlsWant, hosted by Olaoluwa Abagun and brought to you by Athena network.