The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO‪)‬ Foreign Policy

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.
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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 to the United Nations Climate Change High-Level Champions. 
Finally, we are conducting a listener survey to better understand what you like about the podcast and what you’d like to hear next season. All participants in the survey who provide their email will be placed in a raffle to win a $100 Amazon gift card. To participate, follow this survey link. Thank you very much for your time and feedback.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/heropodcast
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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 Partnership for Education. She leads efforts to mobilize political support at the highest levels for education, including from heads of state. They talk about the state of girls’ education and what the international community can do to close learning gaps, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University.
And a quick plug: Foreign Policy will host its annual Her Power summit on April 18th in Washington D.C. Host Reena Ninan will do two live interviews, including with the deputy secretary general of the UN, Amina J. Mohammed. If you would like to attend Her Power, you can email us at podcasts@foreignpolicy.com. Here's more information about the Her Power lineup: https://foreignpolicy.com/events/her-power-2024/
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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 such as Marylize Biubwa, the co-founder of Queer Republic, and Ivy Werimba, a communications officer at Galck+, a coalition of 16 membership-based LGBTQ+ organizations from across Kenya. Then host Reena Ninan speaks with Eric Gitari, the co-founder of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in Kenya. His litigation has helped bring recent LGBTQ policy victories.
The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University.
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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 sustainable development goal.
India accounts for some of the progress. While Indian girls still account for one-third of child brides in the world, the prevalence of child marriage there has declined about 7 percent in the past eight years.
On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we’ll hear how India has been able to reduce its child marriage rates. First, host Reena Ninan revisits a conversation she had in Season 2 with Mabel van Oranje, the founder of Girls Not Brides and the global movement VOW for Girls. 
Then, journalist Ayushi Shah reports on a girls’ support group organized by the Indian nonprofit Child Rights and You (CRY) in the village of Tondar—and specifically how members of the group help girls resist pressure from their families to marry young. 
The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University.
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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’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we look at the most effective ways to increase family planning services. First, reporter Elodie Toto travels to the West African country of Benin, which recently expanded abortion access. Then host Reena Ninan speaks with Dr. Samukeliso Dube, Executive Director of the global partnership FP2030. They work with governments, NGOs, civil society, and the private sector to mobilize investments in family planning.
Program Note: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports this podcast, is one of the funders of FP2030. 
The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University.
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