There are so many great women's podcasts out there, it can be hard to choose what to listen to. We’ve hand-selected 5 of the best to get you started
The very best podcasts for women tend to feel like a melting pot of a chat with your best friends, a riveting TED Talk and a therapy session. Life as a woman can be full to the brim. Podcasts are the perfect medium for us to escape and wind down, and can even be taken with us wherever we need to be.
Steady presents our list of podcasts for women, by women, to steer us through the complex world we live in. Whether you’re in need of thought-provoking, a good laugh, or even a shoulder to cry on, there is a podcast for everybody in this round-up, hosted by a wide range of spectacular women.
1. The Shift with Sam Baker
Hosted by the brilliant award-winning author and journalist Sam Baker, The Shift acts as a springboard for women to explore, unpick and celebrate life post-40.
Baker is here to make sure that women’s voices aren’t drowned out as they hit 40 and The Shift is a one-stop shop for everything from career reinvention to body image to dating.
"Sam Baker is here to make sure that women’s voices aren’t drowned out as they hit 40"
Joined by various guests including cosmetics mogul Bobbi Brown and bestselling author Marian Keyes, Baker will make you laugh, cry and want to binge the entire archive after just one episode.
2. Growing up with Gal-Dem
Gal-Dem is a publication committed to telling the stories of people of colour from marginalised genders. They have recently ventured into the world of podcasts as hosts Liv, Charlie and Natty invite guests to respond to old diary entries, text messages or letters from their younger selves—opening us up to important conversations about growing up.
With guests ranging from the musician and singer Joy Crookes to award winning creator of I May Destroy You, Michaela Coel, Growing up with Gal-Dem both explores the difficulties and complexities of being a woman or non-binary person. It shakes off the shackles of binary ideas of gender, shedding light on the voices which tend to be overlooked in society.
3. Polyester Podcast
Have you ever wondered why all digital assistants have female names or wanted to discuss the lack of diversity in Love Island at length? Well, look no further: the Polyester Podcast dives into various gender biases and issues in our increasingly confusing and overwhelming society, encouraging us to think more about the world we live in.
The podcast is brought to us by Polyester Zine—a self published, intersectional feminist arts and culture publication and is hosted by Editor in Chief Ione Gamble.
4. Sentimental Garbage
This podcast is for all the women who know the struggle of trying to hide their well-thumbed copy of The Devil Wears Prada from fellow commuters.
Sentimental Garbage started out as a podcast to unpick the novels dismissed as belonging to this genre, exploring aspects of the beloved Bridget Jones and Eat Pray Love, before more recently moving to a wider assessment of female “trash” culture.
"Sentimental Garbage makes you feel like you’re sitting in your living room with your best friend"
Recent episodes include an 8-part spin-off with Dolly Alderton, author of Everything I Know About Love, and the host’s real life best friend, as they delve into the nitty gritty of Sex and the City.
Sentimental Garbage makes you feel like you’re sitting in your living room with your best friend. It's a means of embracing and celebrating the beloved films, television and literature dismissed as trash for women.
5. The Receipts Podcast
With a new episode out every Wednesday, The Receipts Podcast hosted by Audrey, Tolly and Milena has an episode covering pretty much anything you can think of.
The topics discussed range from more trivial “thirst traps” to the far more serious topic of sexual abuse and this juxtaposition is echoed throughout the series—offering a diverse archive of conversations.
One particular episode template titled “your receipts” allows listeners to write in with queries and problems, and cements the podcast as the 21st century’s answer to the agony aunt. Expect honest, brazen and undiluted girl chat.
6. The Scummy Mummies Podcast
Hosted by comedians Ellie Gibson and Helen Thorn and featuring guest parenting experts, comedians and authors, The Scummy Mummies Podcast reminds and reassures us that mums don’t have to be perfect.
"A great one to listen to with a glass of wine in hand"
The pressures of motherhood can be overwhelming and this podcast acts like a mum’s night out—a chance to switch off from societal pressure and enjoy frank, funny and ever so slightly giddy conversations.
A great one to listen to with a glass of wine in hand as you can drink along with the hosts themselves.
7. Stuff Mum Never Told You
Started in 2009 and on the more informative end of the podcast spectrum, we have Stuff Mum Never Told You, where hosts Anney and Samantha discuss what it means to identify as female and how this manifests in daily life.
Early episodes include “Why do women have more migraines than men?” and “Do men like video games more than women?”—Stuff Mum Never Told You certainly does what it says on the tin, and as new episodes continue to be released daily, the archive offers a great opportunity for a rainy day.
Insights from the experts at Steady, the membership platform for independent creators
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