Women, Girls, and the Status of Aid
As part of our In Focus series, we examine the impact of U.S. global aid cuts on women and girls around the world.
Jun 10, 2025•25 min•Ep. 39
More to Her Story: The Podcast
Journalist Sarah Little interviews thought leaders and trailblazers to discuss complex challenges facing women and girls worldwide.
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Episodes
Sudan in Focus: Sexual Assault as a Weapon of War
In our In Focus series, we investigate the use of mass sexual violence as a weapon of war in Sudan. Executive Producer: Francesca Gilardi Quadrio Curzio Sound Design: Andrija Klaric
Jun 03, 2025•26 min•Ep. 38
Bellamy Young, CARE Ambassador
Many of you know Bellamy Young as Mellie Grant from the series Scandal, but beyond the screen, she’s a passionate advocate for global humanitarian issues. As an ambassador for CARE, Bellamy has been deeply involved in advocating for women and girls worldwide, using her platform to amplify stories that often go unheard. Today, she joins More to Her Story: The Podcast.
Mar 06, 2025•33 min•Ep. 37
Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE
Michelle Nunn leads more than 8,000 people working in 121 countries to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. In her nine years as President and CEO of CARE, the organization has impacted more than 53 million people around the world. In this conversation, Michelle and I discuss some of the most pressing challenges facing women and girls today, and what CARE is doing to tackle gender-based violence in conflict and beyond.
Dec 11, 2024•25 min•Ep. 36
Melissa Fleming, Head of Global Communications for the United Nations
Melissa Fleming is the Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications at the United Nations. Previously, she served as the Head of Communications and Chief Spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency. Melissa is the author of A Hope More Powerful than the Sea and host of the podcast Awake at Night. This month, we delve into what it takes to be the UN’s Chief Communicator at a time of rising global conflicts and backsliding women’s rights.
Oct 14, 2024•43 min•Ep. 35
Mary Maker, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
Mary Maker is a South Sudanese refugee and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador. She is also an actress, a fashion lover, and a writer. After fleeing her war-torn country as a child, Mary found safety at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, where she was able to attend school. Today, Mary is a champion for girls’ education as a vital tool for rebuilding lives and empowering a generation of girls who are too often denied access to the classroom. Mary is a friend ...
Aug 26, 2024•35 min•Ep. 34
Yasmine Mohammed, Human Rights Activist
Yasmine Mohammed is a Canadian human rights activist and author of Egyptian and Palestinian descent. Yasmine escaped from a forced, abusive marriage to an Al-Qaeda operative and became an advocate for women's rights through her non-profit organization Free Hearts, Free Minds. She is the author of Unveiled: How Western Liberals Empower Radical Islam. In this episode, Yasmine shares her remarkable story and unique perspective with the world. Trigger Warning: Mention of violence against women.
Jun 03, 2024•42 min•Ep. 33
Paul O'Brien, Executive Director, Amnesty USA
Paul O’Brien is the Executive Director at Amnesty International USA. Over his career, he has done human rights research and advocacy in more than 50 countries, including most recently, Mexico, Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. He lived for 10 years in Africa, working for local and international organizations, and for 5 years in Afghanistan, where he served as an advisor to the President. Before Amnesty, Paul co-led Oxfam’s advocacy efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic and led Oxfam America’s advo...
Apr 30, 2024•50 min•Ep. 32
Leslie T. Chang, Journalist and Author
Leslie T. Chang has written about women in the developing world for two decades. Her reporting method is to immerse herself in the daily lives of ordinary women to find stories that are often unknown to the outside world. Leslie lived in China for a decade as a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, focusing on stories that explored how socioeconomic change was transforming institutions and individuals. In 2011, Leslie moved to Cairo, Egypt, where she explored the lives of the country's work...
Mar 20, 2024•46 min•Ep. 31
Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, President and CEO, International Peace Institute
Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein is a Jordanian former diplomat and the President and CEO of the International Peace Institute. He is the Perry World House Professor of the Practice of Law and Human Rights at the University of Pennsylvania and served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2014-2018. Zeid is a member of The Elders, an independent group of world leaders and human rights advocates brought together by Nelson Mandela in 2007. You can follow him on X @Raad_Zeid and ...
Dec 27, 2023•50 min•Ep. 30
Masuma Ahuja, Head of Freeda UK
Masuma Ahuja is a journalist who calls three countries home and reports on people, power, and politics worldwide. Her work focuses primarily on women’s and girls’ lives. She is currently the Head of Freeda UK; previously, she worked at CNN and the Washington Post. She also spent years freelancing, reporting on women’s and girls’ lives worldwide for places like the BBC, The Washington Post’s The Lily, and Vice. Her debut book, Girlhood, published in 2021, depicts the everyday lives of girls aroun...
Dec 12, 2023•33 min•Ep. 29
Diary of A Gazan Girl
24-year-old Shereen Sabbah from Gaza shares audio diaries for More to Her Story.
Nov 15, 2023•4 min•Ep. 28
Natashya Gutierrez, President, Rappler
Natashya Gutierrez is the President of Rappler, the Phillippine’s leading digital news company. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of VICE Asia-Pacific. She has spent more than a decade leading newsrooms and covering women’s rights, politics, and disinformation with a focus on Asia. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @natashya_g
Oct 06, 2023•36 min•Ep. 27
Jane Ferguson, Author and Award-Winning Journalist
Jane Ferguson is an Irish-British journalist, special correspondent for PBS NewsHour, and contributor to The New Yorker. Jane has reported from warzones across the world, with a particular focus on the Middle East. She is a Visiting Lecturer at Princeton University and recently published author of the memoir No Ordinary Assignment. It was an honor to have Jane on the show. You can follow Jane on Instagram @janieferg and Twitter @JaneFerguson5
Sep 23, 2023•33 min•Ep. 26
Shudufhadzo Musida, Miss South Africa 2020
Shudufhadzo Musida is a South African model and activist who was crowned Miss South Africa 2020. She is a dedicated advocate and spokeswoman for mental health awareness and women’s rights and was recently appointed a regional champion for the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency. Follow Shudu on Instagram @ShudufhadzoMusida or Twitter @abigailmusida
Aug 28, 2023•23 min•Ep. 25
Isobel Yeung, Award-Winning Documentary Correspondent
Isobel Yeung is an Emmy-award-winning long-form documentary correspondent. She has covered a wide variety of stories concerning major global issues such as world conflicts, the criminal justice system, women’s rights, mental health, and sexual consent. In this episode, we dive deep into life in and out of the field, the current state of women’s rights in Afghanistan, and other things. I appreciated Isobel’s openness and honesty about how challenging this job can be and the incredible rewards. Yo...
Aug 07, 2023•38 min•Ep. 24
Rothna Begum, Human Rights Watch
Rothna Begum is the Senior Women’s Rights Researcher at Human Rights Watch, focusing on discrimination and violence against women and girls in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. She has conducted research and advocacy on the abuse and exploitation of migrant domestic workers, domestic violence against women and girls, child marriage, sexual violence in conflict, discriminatory family laws, and male guardianship policies. Rothna previously worked for Amnesty International, where she ...
Jun 29, 2023•46 min•Ep. 23
Chanel Contos, Founder of Teach Us Consent
Chanel Contos has sparked an international movement that has led to mandating consent education in every school across Australia. The 24-year-old founded Teach Us Consent, a petition for consent to be included in Australian schools’ sex education. Chanel is on the BBC’s list of 100 influential and inspiring women of 2022, and her book on consent will be coming out later this year. I was honored to have her on the show this month.
Apr 30, 2023•28 min•Ep. 22
Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland
Mary Robinson served as the first woman President of Ireland. She also served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Climate Change. She is a founding member and current Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders formed by Nelson Mandela to tackle the world's most pressing problems. This International Women’s Day, it was an honor to have Mary on the show.
Mar 08, 2023•27 min•Ep. 21
Woman Life Freedom: Iranian Activists Speak Out
In September 2022, a young woman named Mahsa Amini died in the custody of Iran’s “morality” police. Her death sparked nationwide protests across Iran, what many have called a revolution — a revolution led by women demanding their basic rights. Today, I’m in conversation with two of those women. Mahsa, also known as @Moonitor, and Elnaz Sarbar Boczek, are two courageous Iranian women who have been using their platforms to speak about women’s rights and human rights abuses in their country. Follow...
Jan 30, 2023•42 min•Ep. 20
In Conversation with Nicholas Kristof
Nicholas Kristof is one of the most well-known journalists and vital voices of our time. A winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, he wrote an op-ed column for The New York Times from 2001 to 2021 - and returned to the Times in August of 2022. According to The Washington Post, Nick "rewrote opinion journalism" with his emphasis on human rights abuses and social injustices globally. He's been called everything from the conscience of international journalism to the Indiana Jones of journalism. Nick is not ...
Oct 10, 2022•48 min•Ep. 19
Anna Fratsyvir on Life as a Young Ukrainian Journalist During Wartime
Anna Fratsyvir was studying journalism at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv when her life - as millions of other Ukrainians' lives - changed overnight. Now, Anna uses her platform as a Young European Ambassador to educate others around the world on what is happening in her country. Today, we're in conversation about what life looks like seven months after Russia invaded Ukraine. You can follow Anna on Instagram: @annafratsyvir
Sep 28, 2022•42 min•Ep. 18
Clarissa Ward, CNN's Chief International Correspondent
Clarissa Ward is CNN's Chief International Correspondent. She has spent nearly two decades reporting from front lines around the world, from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Yemen to Ukraine. She is the author of 'On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist' and hosts the podcast series from CNN, Tug of War. In this episode, we discuss Clarissa's reporting in Syria, what it means to be a human before a journalist, how to cope with the emotional impact of being a war correspondent, a...
Aug 20, 2022•43 min•Ep. 17
Eliza Anyangwe, Editor of CNN's As Equals
Eliza Anyangwe is editor of CNN's As Equals, an award-winning series that aims to explore systemic gender inequality around the world. She has spent more than a decade in media, including at The Guardian and Bureau of Investigative Journalism. In 2016, Eliza founded The Nzinga Effect, a media project focused on telling the stories of African and Afro-descendant women. Eliza is a storyteller and advocate for women and girls worldwide; above all, she wants to change who tells which stories. You ca...
Jun 28, 2022•46 min•Ep. 16
Yalda Hakim, BBC World News Chief International Correspondent
Yalda Hakim is one of the most well-known faces in broadcast news today. As BBC World News’ Chief International Correspondent, she anchors the flagship program 'Impact with Yalda Hakim' on BBC World News. She is an award-winning foreign correspondent and documentary filmmaker who was raised in Australia and has roots in Afghanistan. In 2018, Yalda launched the Yalda Hakim Foundation, which supports the professional advancement of Afghan students. She is an advocate for the rights of Afghan women...
May 07, 2022•37 min•Ep. 15
Merissa Khurma, Director of the Middle East Program at The Wilson Center
Merissa Khurma is the program director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center. She was a non-resident fellow in the International Security Program at New America. Merissa served as director of the Office of Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and as press attaché and director of the Information Bureau at the Embassy of Jordan in Washington, D.C. Merissa has worked in a range of roles relating to foreign policy, international security and gender equality across the Middle East and North A...
Apr 26, 2022•42 min•Ep. 14
Laurie Adams, CEO, Women for Women
Laurie Adams is the CEO of Women for Women International, a leading global organization dedicated to working with women survivors of war and conflict. With over 25 years of experience working in international development and human rights, Laurie is a global leader and gender rights advocate. In today's episode, we discuss Laurie's upbringing and role in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, what it's like to lead a global human rights organization, and the current state of women's rights ...
Jan 24, 2022•52 min•Ep. 12
Linda Kay Klein on Breaking Free from Sexual Shame
Linda Kay Klein is the founder and president of Break Free Together, a nonprofit storytelling organization dedicated to helping people - particularly young women - release shame from so-called "purity" culture. Her work was born out of 16 years of research for her award-winning book, Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free. Linda has spoken around the world from the TEDx stage to The Apollo’s Women of the World Festival. Her work has bee...
Sep 03, 2021•48 min•Ep. 11
Afrah Nasser, Human Rights Watch
Afrah Nasser is a multi award-winning journalist and blogger from Yemen, currently living in forced exile in Sweden. In 2017, Afrah won the Committee to Protect Journalists’ International Press Freedom Award. She has been named by BBC as one of the "100 Women Who Have Changed the World," and has been featured three times as one of the 100 Most Influential Arabs by Arabian Business Magazine. Afrah’s blog, created during Yemen's 2011 Arab Spring uprising, has won her the recognition of CNN and Al-...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 10
Tania Rashid, Award-Winning Correspondent and Producer
Tania Rashid is an award-winning correspondent and producer. She has worked for networks like Al Jazeera, CNN, PBS Newshour, NBC News, National Geographic, and VICE. Tania is passionate about exploring issues often overlooked by mainstream media, especially about women and girls around the world. She is a fellow at The International Women's Media Foundation. In this episode, Tania shares practical advice for young, aspiring journalists on the process of pitching, writing and producing a document...
May 25, 2021•23 min•Ep. 9
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