This week, we’re bringing you an episode of What Could Go Right from our friends at The Progress Network. Each Wednesday on What Could Go Right, hosts Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas converse with diverse experts to have sharp, honest conversations about what’s going on in the world, even during difficult times. In this episode, they dive into the global health crisis that doesn’t get nearly enough attention - tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest infectious diseases in t...
Apr 29, 2025•31 min
This week, we’re sharing another show you might like. Cramped is a podcast created and hosted by Kate Downey, “because having a microphone gets you more answers than having a uterus.” In this episode, Kate talks to her mom about joining the Boston Women's Health Movement in the 1970s. Why was body literacy such a big part of feminism in the 70s, but when Kate became an active feminist in Boston in the 2000s, she didn't get information about body literacy? To learn more, Kate talks to Laura Priet...
Apr 22, 2025•42 min
While the show is on hiatus, we want to share a few podcasts on the HERO feed that we think you might like. We will release these episodes over the next month. This first one is from a podcast called The Most Important Question from the Important, Not Important team. When HERO first launched, Important, Not Important featured one of our early episodes. It’s a good show, and we’ve been happy to remain in touch over the years. This episode fits in well with our recent season. It’s an interview wit...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 6 min
First, we need to share some news. This may be our last episode. We are so grateful to the funding we have received for this podcast over the past four years. But our largest grant is ending soon. So for now, we are saying goodbye. We truly hope to be back in your feed someday. To commemorate HERO, we are doing one last “follow-up” episode. This was an idea from you, our listeners. You suggested talking to past interviewees and seeing what they are doing now. For today’s show, we’re doing a “rep...
Apr 01, 2025•26 min•Season 8Ep. 4
The idea for today’s show came from you: our listeners. Many of you wanted to hear follow-up stories. You suggested talking to past interviewees and seeing what they are doing now. In particular, you were curious if the gender equality issues they were advocating for had advanced or backslid since we first reported on them. Today, we are coming back to Sabrina Habib, who was on our very first episode in 2021. Habib is the CEO and co-founder of Kidogo, a nonprofit focused on creating affordable h...
Mar 25, 2025•25 min
Health and human services. Nutrition. Job programs. These are just a few of the sectors impacted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) cuts in Nigeria—one of the top 10 recipients of U.S. foreign aid. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced the elimination of 83 percent of USAID programs. On today’s episode, senior producer Laura Rosbrow-Telem talks to aid workers and direct recipients in Nigeria about the fallout of the cuts so far. After that, host Re...
Mar 18, 2025•34 min•Season 8Ep. 2
As a special bonus, we're sharing an interview host Reena Ninan recorded with Preethi Herman about how to launch a digital campaign that actually changes policy. Herman led the Change.org Foundation, supporting 100 million people in campaigns worldwide. Currently, Herman is the CEO and co-founder of the Nguvu Collective, a women-led organization that has impacted more than 200 million lives. **Note: This interview took place before the U.S. foreign-aid freeze, which we will address more in comin...
Feb 27, 2025•15 min•Season 8Ep. 2
The United States has long been the largest aid donor in the world, accounting for about 40 percent of humanitarian assistance globally last year, according to the United Nations. But that is quickly changing. Most U.S. foreign aid is currently on hold. Thousands of projects are at risk of elimination. And nearly all staff from the U.S. Agency for International Development are on administrative leave. How did we get to this moment? And what has been the impact of the foreign aid freeze so far, i...
Feb 19, 2025•24 min•Season 8Ep. 1
On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, the final in our season focusing on the World Bank/IMF meetings this fall, we dive deep into the World Bank’s newly launched gender strategy. We will hear from two leaders driving this vision forward, as they explain why the Bank decided to prioritize some new goals. First, host Reena Ninan speaks with Hana Brixi, Global Director for Gender at the World Bank, from the Atlantic Council’s pop-up studio in the IMF atrium. Then, Ninan t...
Dec 17, 2024•30 min•Season 7Ep. 5
The number of people exposed to floods globally has surged by nearly 25 percent since 2000, with Africa experiencing the most dramatic increase. Floods this spring were especially brutal in East Africa, killing nearly 530 people and most heavily impacting Kenya. On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we analyze the relationship between climate and gender equality. Host Reena Ninan begins by hearing from Nairobi-based reporter Eunice Maina, who spoke with a family deeply ...
Dec 10, 2024•24 min•Season 7Ep. 4
As global public debt reaches historic highs, one of the key solutions is increasing the amount of funding for “concessional” loans—or ones with very good terms. That is where the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) comes in. According to the World Bank, the IDA is the world’s largest source of development finance for countries most in need. It provides low-income countries with grants and loans with little to no interest. Every three years, the IDA has to raise funds from i...
Dec 03, 2024•29 min•Season 7Ep. 3
Thousands of Kenyans protested against a finance bill in June that would have increased taxes on many everyday items. This was proposed in part to help pay off loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, which account for more than 40 percent of the country’s foreign debt. But what is Kenya’s current fiscal climate? And how are these debts impacting gender equality? On today’s episode of The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, host Reena Ninan talks with Nairobi-based repo...
Nov 26, 2024•24 min•Season 7Ep. 2
The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is back for a very special seventh season. If you’re a longtime listener, you’ll know our show generally focuses on women from the global majority, or the global south. But this time, we wanted to cover the banks and institutions shaping global funding—particularly as the world faces an unprecedented amount of governmental debt. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global public debt is expected to top $100 trillion by the end of this year,...
Nov 19, 2024•31 min•Season 7Ep. 1
With global public debt reaching historic highs, how are multilateral institutions approaching gender equality? This season, launching November 19th, we talk to some of the biggest financial and development leaders about the long fight to support women and girls at the IMF/World Bank annual meetings. Host Reena Ninan's interviews include: Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank Malado Kaba, Former Head of Gender at the African Development Bank Gargee Ghosh, President of Global ...
Nov 12, 2024•2 min•Season 7Ep. 1
We’re ending this season with a special bonus episode recorded live from Foreign Policy’s Her Power Summit, which took place during the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. First, host Reena Ninan speaks to United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. Then you’ll hear a panel discussion on the role of data in advancing gender equality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 23, 2024•49 min•Season 6Ep. 7
On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we are closing out our special season on girls with inspiring stories about girl power. First, we go to Peru. Reporter Jimena Ledgard interviews Wendy Sulca, a former child pop star who is finding a new voice as an advocate. Then, host Reena Ninan speaks with Bogolo Kenewendo about how her childhood shaped her into the political leader she has become. Kenewendo is just in her late 30s and she is a special Advisor and Africa Director...
Apr 16, 2024•26 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Education is one of the most important enablers of girl power all over the world. And in a lot of ways, girls’ education has improved. The percentage of girls in school is on the rise globally compared to two decades ago. But there are still significant gaps, particularly in areas with high levels of conflict. On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, host Reena Ninan speaks with Julie Mwabe, the team lead at the global advocacy and public policy program at Global Partnersh...
Apr 09, 2024•21 min
Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya, as it is in more than half of African countries. But public attitudes have begun to shift. According to Pew Research Center data from 2002, only 1 percent of Kenyan respondents said society should accept homosexuality. As of 2020, 14 percent believed homosexuality should be accepted. On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we follow the key people driving this change. Reporter Eunice Maina interviews women and nonbinary LGBTQ activists s...
Apr 02, 2024•27 min•Season 6Ep. 4
The battle against child marriage around the world seems to be gaining some traction. According to the latest UNICEF data, about 1 in 5 young women between the ages of 20 and 24 were married as children. This represents a 5 percent decrease from a decade ago. The negative impact of child marriage is widely documented. Child brides suffer domestic violence more often, drop out of school in greater numbers, and are more likely to experience poverty. Curbing child marriage is a United Nations susta...
Mar 26, 2024•27 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Family planning is one of the most economically important strategies for women and girls. Access to contraceptives can help women and girls get an education and participate in the workforce. Furthermore, it could reduce maternal deaths by as much as three-quarters, according to the United Nations Population Fund. But nearly 10 percent of women of childbearing age around the world have unmet contraceptive needs and teenage girls report less access to contraceptives than other age groups. On today...
Mar 19, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 2
The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is back with an all-new season. This time, all our stories are about something that has been getting a lot of media attention lately: Girls. What do they really need to succeed right now? And how can we work with them to get there? For this first episode, we focus on an often hidden aspect of girls’ economic lives that has a significant impact: period products. According to the World Bank, as many as 500 million people every month lack access to menstrual...
Mar 12, 2024•26 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Season 6 of "The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women" (HER♀️) launches Tuesday, March 12th. This time, we are focusing all our stories on girls. What are the real economics of girlhood? What are the hidden costs? And how could girls actually shake up the global economy? We visit girls preventing child marriages in India, advocates who helped legalize abortion in Benin, LGBTQ+ activists in Kenya, and education innovators, among others. "The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women" is a Foreign Poli...
Mar 04, 2024•3 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta pledged to end gender-based violence by 2026, soon before the end of his term in 2022. With two years left before 2026, is Kenya still on track to fulfill the promises made to Kenyan women? On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we talk to women’s rights activists who have pressed the Kenyan government to uphold its pledge to end gender-based violence. First, reporter Pauline Ongaji speaks with Audrey Mugeni, Co-Founder of Counting Dead Wo...
Feb 13, 2024•29 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Uganda’s health ministry has launched a campaign to end yellow fever epidemics in the country by 2026. According to the CDC, about 30,000 people die from yellow fever each year, with approximately 90% in Africa. Infants and the elderly are most at risk. So the impact of this disease is more heavily felt by women, who are most often burdened with caregiving. On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we visit Uganda, one of 27 high-risk countries in Africa working with the Wo...
Feb 06, 2024•24 min•Season 5Ep. 5
The level of press freedom in Kenya media outlets is among the highest in East Africa, according to the most recent World Press Freedom Index. And Reuters’ research claims that trust in the news grew by six percent last year in Kenya, right after an election. However, there is still much work to be done when it comes to making newsrooms a safe place for Kenyan women. According to a survey from Women in News in early 2022, about 90% of women working in Kenyan media reported they were likely to be...
Jan 30, 2024•28 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Despite a global downturn for tech, 2022 was a record year for African startup funding. According to data from Partech Partners, Africa tech financing in 2022 was 4.5 times larger than it was four years prior. And Nigeria is one of the continent’s main tech hubs. However, underneath this success story are less convenient truths – including widespread gender discrimination and financial impropriety. On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we will look at Nigerian tech lead...
Jan 23, 2024•23 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Nigeria is increasingly important on the global stage. It is the sixth most populous country and has the biggest economy in Africa. It is also home to one of the world’s largest film industries and is a major oil exporter. Despite these achievements, gender parity in its political leadership has declined. As of last year’s elections, women make up less than 4 percent of Nigeria’s parliament. Now, Nigeria ranks among the bottom 10 countries for female representation in national government. On tod...
Jan 16, 2024•29 min•Season 5Ep. 2
This season, host Reena Ninan and reporters across Africa will meet courageous women holding leaders accountable in various sectors, including healthcare, startups, and government. Specifically, we are looking at promises made about gender equality – and seeing if they have been delivered. For example, the government of Kenya pledged to end gender-based violence by 2026. And the ministry of health in Uganda is trying to eradicate yellow fever. It is ambitious to make these kinds of pledges. But ...
Jan 09, 2024•26 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Season 5 of "The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women" (HER♀️) launches Tuesday, January 9th. This time, we are looking at promises made about gender equality – and seeing if they have been delivered. For example, the government of Kenya pledged to end gender-based violence by 2026. And the ministry of health in Uganda is trying to eradicate yellow fever. It is ambitious to make these kinds of pledges. But it is much harder to achieve these lofty goals. Are these leaders really delivering on the...
Jan 04, 2024•3 min
Throughout this season, we’ve looked at how women are pushing back against legal, political, and cultural barriers to better themselves and their communities. And we’ve centered our conversations on the male allies who have made it their mission to fight gender inequities. For this final episode of our season, we’re looking forward and talking to women in power. And not just any women in power – leaders who are advancing gender equality in their sectors. First host Reena Ninan's talks to Ratna S...
Jul 25, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 6
