Our Favourite Women-led Podcasts
You’re likely well aware of the “Podcast Boys Club”—the idea that even though women make up roughly half of podcast listeners nationwide, an overwhelming majority of the top-charting shows across major podcast platforms are hosted by men.
79 percent, actually.
So, on this International Women’s Day, we choose to celebrate all the women in podcasting who are working behind the scenes and behind the mic.
Consider this our love letter to all the women out there making badass audio in a male-dominated industry.
The Cut
What’s it about? culture, style, sex, politics
Vibes: 🔥 🍆 📰
I love The Cut (and By The Book, discussed later) because they both showcase the complexity of what it means to be woman. The Cut hosts a lot of different perspectives and talks about really "inside baseball" woman-things, like himbos, rich friends, and freezing your eggs. - Kattie Laur, Producer
Love Thy Neighbour
What’s it about? racism, immigration, white flight, antisemitism
Vibes: 👮 🚫 🤬
Love Thy Neighbor: Four Days in Crown Heights That Changed New York is an excellent new show from Audacy. Journalist Collier Meyerson takes listeners back to the event that came to be known as “the Crown Heights riot” in 1991. The show poses the question: what can this event teach us about modern dilemmas like police violence, racism, and the persistence of antisemitism? I wasn’t familiar with Meyerson’s work before listening to this, but I love her as a host. Her narration style is friendly and intimate, and she weaves her own family’s story into the narrative. Sound design and archival clips bring the story to life, and at 31 minutes, I was left wanting more. - Michal Stein, Producer
EcoJustice Radio
What’s it about? environmental + social justice
Vibes: ✊🏽 📣 🌎
Considering International Women’s Day has major historical ties to both the labour and antiracism movements, my pick is this 2019 EcoJustice episode discussing the proliferation of sweatshops in Los Angeles. The retail industry would love for us to shut up already about the ethical & sustainable quandaries of garment production. But let’s stop pretending that a $6 shirt makes sense, and start speaking out more for the women who are paid by the piece, suffer massive wage theft, work in unhygienic conditions, and absolutely deserve a respectful and safe living. - Katie Jensen, Principal
Not Past It
What’s it about? how history shaped the world
Vibes: 💎 📖 🔍
I’ve sung her praises before, but Simone Polanen is one of my favourite hosts these days as she leads the storytelling of Not Past It, a "this week in history" show that feels timeless. Simone does a great job at sharing her perspective on all sorts of past events. This is perhaps best exemplified in Simone's take on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. - Max Collins, Producer
All My Relations
What’s it about? relationships to land & each other
Vibes: 🧡 🙌🏾 🔥
I love All My Relations, which explores our relationship to land, to our creatural relatives, and to one another. It’s hosted by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) and Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation). I tune into the show to expand my perspectives on life-ways while also learning about communities and experiences that I otherwise wouldn’t hear about in my day-to-day. The hosts go together really well and I love that their intro sequence features laughter because it reminds me to seek out spaces that bring me joy. - Sabrina Brathwaite, Producer
Moon to Moon
What’s it about? witchy things
Vibes: vibe: 🌙 🔮 🌿
Moon to Moon is my first stop whenever I need to know whats going on with the moon (always). Each month, I tune in to learn about the astrology of the season. Britten Larue has a way of blending astrological knowledge with ways of being and existing in the world. I particularly liked the “Living the F**k Out of Your Chart” series, where Britten interviews people who embody their birth chart. A great choice for the astro-curious who want to take a bubble bath, slow down, and listen. - Emily Latimer, Digital Producer
Ologies with Alie Ward
What’s it about? the science of everything
Vibes: 🧠 💫 🦋
I always love Alie Ward and Ologies has been consistently fun and informative! - Producer Ren Bangert
Science Vs
What’s it about? super fun science
Vibes: 🧪 🧬 🎉
Can we please take a moment to recognize the Science Vs team? This podcast hasn't been putting out too much content right now, for good reason — host Wendy Zukerman and the rest of the team behind the show have taken a stand against their employer, Spotify, for its role in spreading misinformation about vaccine through their platform. The Science Vs team have been risking their jobs to speak out against their employer directly on their podcast, and refusing to put out any content that isn't about combatting misinformation. In their most recent episode, which focuses on Spotify's code of conduct, Wendy signs off with a, "We'll fact you next week... if I still have a job.” I commend them for taking Spotify to bat in this way. - Producer Max Collins
After Joe Rogan was accused of spreading Covid-19 vaccine misinformation, people (like us!) wanted to know what Spotify was doing to stop it. In this ep, we look at what tech platforms are doing — and what actually works. https://t.co/fPRhIuqGYz
— Science Vs (@sciencevs) February 25, 2022
The Homo Schedule
What’s it about? queer celebration
Vibes: 😜 🏳️🌈 💜
Ok, I’ll admit it: I’m a big fan of Yellowjackets on Showcase, starring Jasmin Savoy Brown (she/her) and Liv Hewson (they/them). Jasmin created The Homo Schedule, a riff on the “Gay Agenda” and invited Liv to join in! With a slate of fun guests, they talk mentorship, identity, career stuff, creative stuff, heroes, community, education - all with a bubbly sense of joy and play. Happy IWD to all the women, non-binary peeps, and femmes out there! - Principal Katie Jensen
The Backbench
What’s it about? zesty Canadian political takes
Vibes: 🗳 🐍 ⚖️
Canadaland’s The Backbench is a panel show hosted by Fatima Syed and produced by Tiffany Lam (we featured them in our newsletter before!). It includes a rotating cast of eight panelists: Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Jason Markusoff, Drew Brown, Emilie Nicolas, Jaskaran Sandhu, Murad Hemmadi, Leena Minifie, and Stuart Thomson. - Michal Stein, Producer
By the Book
What’s it about? self-help, literally
Vibes: 📚 🥕 🏃♀️
By the Book is two women reviewing their experiences living by self help books and both have unique identities and world views. - Kattie Laur, Producer
