What Girls Want: A Podcast: Recent Episodes
ATHENA Network
Adolescent girls, young women and gender-diverse young people leading COVID-19 responses and recovery interventions with intersectional feminist leadership and strategies.
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
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.
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.
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.”
**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.**
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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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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.Keep up to date with ATHENA via...
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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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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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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 individual feminists within movements, particularly GBV movements. We look at how these feminist movements reject the fractured commodified individualistic care and adopt care strategies and models that are holistic and communal.
Xina Scullard from South Africa and ATHENA #WhatGirlsWant focal point from Nairobi, Elidah Maita joined us to discuss feminist movement building
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Introducing a new podcast, #WhatGirlsWant, hosted by Olaoluwa Abagun and brought to you by Athena network.