Sage Takes Thyme

This is not a cooking show, but it will nourish your soul (maybe). Womena’s founders open a new dialogue with their community and give their perspectives on relevant, topical issues that affect women in and from the Arab world. This podcast will serve as a space for genuine exploration of the authentic experience of two women in search of belonging and balance, using storytelling to reclaim and redefine the distorted narratives that surround them.

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  1. Sep 23

    S3 EP01 | WE'RE BACK: why we’re taking up space in Season 3

    How much can you change in a year? More than you might realize. We’re opening season 3 by reflecting on the past year and everything it entailed, the ways we’ve grown, the losses we’ve navigated, and the parts of ourselves we’ve had to reconsider along the way. We’re unpacking what it means to take up space more authentically, and be intentional about the people, relationships, and communities we make room for.  This season, we’re looking at the personal, the political, and everything in between: relationships, identity, motherhood, work, community, climate, and the forces shaping our lives online and offline. We’re also examining the rise of the manosphere and the growing pressure on women to navigate increasingly hostile digital spaces. We’re making room for more diverse voices, more audacity, and more honest conversations. Turn on notifications so you don’t miss a new episode every week! 🔔   Hosted by Elissa Freiha (@freiha) and Amira Salah-Ahmed (@amiralx)   Follow us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sage-takes-thyme/id1765472572     Follow Sage Takes Thyme: - IG: https://www.instagram.com/sagetakesthyme/  - Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sagetakesthyme   Follow Womena everywhere:  - Subscribe to YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/womena )  - Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/womenaco  )  - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/womena ) - Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@womena)  - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/womenaco  )  - Find out more (https://womena.com/ )  - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://subscribepage.io/Womena-Collective Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    S3 EP01 | WE'RE BACK: why we’re taking up space in Season 3
  2. Trailer

    It’s the time of the year… | S3 Trailer

    In Season 3 of Sage Takes Thyme, Womena’s founders expand the table, bringing in more voices, more lived realities, and more difficult questions shaping the Arab world and its diaspora today. We take a deeper dive into the forces influencing women’s lives across the region: power, labor, technology, identity, resistance, and the politics of visibility. We examine not only what is changing, but who is paying the price, and who is rewriting the rules. What does progress actually look like? Who benefits from empowerment narratives? How do we balance tradition and transformation? And how do women build lives of meaning, agency, and belonging within systems that were not designed for them? 👉 First episode drops September 15. Follow and turn on notifications so you don’t miss it. Hosted by Elissa Freiha (@freiha) and Amira Salah-Ahmed (@amiralx) A big thank you to everyone who helped bring this season to life. Team Behind the Scenes:Director: Rythma Ekanayake (@rythmae)Production Manager: Hadi Gaafar (@Hadi.gaafar)Editorial Producer: Laila El Deib (@lailaeldeib)Videographers and Editors: Aya El-Hussiney (@ayaelhussieny_) and Rowan Messelhy (@rowanmesselhy) and Farida Elebeidy (@alilgroovyy)Social Media and Marketing: Shahd Salaheldin (@fullyshahd) and Mostafa El Gaaly (@mgaaly_)Lighting Assistance by Ahmed and the Void team (@void_presents)Title design: Magdee Hozeyn (@hozyenn_) and Nour Elzayat (@nstudio_____)Graphic design: Farida Elebeidy (@alilgroovyy)Art Director: Monica Abadir (@monicaabadir) with the help of Assistant Mariam Elhouchy (@mhoushy)Furniture and decor pieces from:Alive and well (@thisisaliveandwell)Kangaroo (@stampedbykangaroo)Samak Laban (@samaklabandaily)Thank you to Access Art Space for collaborating with us and contributing pieces from artists:Fatma Abodoma (@fatmabodoma)Mariam Soliman (@mariam_solimana)Hameem El Mahy (@hameemmahy)Hanafy Mahmoud (@hanafy.mahmoud.1970)Mahmoud ShabaanSameh RefaatAida Khalil (@aidak.halil)& also a big thank you to independent artists:Alia Habib (@habibss)Farida Sultan (@faridaasultan)Our Location Partners are Void Inc. (@void_presents) Thank you to their team: Kareem ElKhadrawy (@kare.em__)Amal Younis (@ayounis__)Aya H Younis (@move.withaya)   Follow us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sage-takes-thyme/id1765472572    Follow Sage Takes Thyme: - IG: https://www.instagram.com/sagetakesthyme/ - Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sagetakesthyme   Follow Womena everywhere:  - Subscribe to YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/womena )  - Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/womenaco )  - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/womena ) - Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@womena)  - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/womenaco )  - Find out more (https://womena.com/ )  - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://subscribepage.io/Womena-Collective Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    It’s the time of the year… | S3 Trailer
  3. Apr 22 ·  Bonus

    S2 Bonus | Why is "Girlboss" Problematic?

    Let’s talk about the rise and fall of girlboss culture. We unpack why some women founders had to adopt problematic values to succeed, why calling someone a boss lady feels strange, and how today’s female leadership can be supportive, creative, and far from competitive toxicity. خلينا نتكلم عن صعود وسقوط ثقافة الست القائدة "Girl boss." هنتكلم عن ليه بعض رائدات الأعمال اضطروا يتبنوا قيم غلط عشان ينجحوا، وليه مصطلح السيدة القائدة "Boss lady" مصطلح غريب، وإزاي القيادة النسائية دلوقتي ممكن تكون داعمة، مبتكرة، وبعيدة عن التنافسية السامة. Hosted by Elissa Freiha (@freiha) and Amira Salah-Ahmed (@amiralx) SUBSCRIBE to Apple Podcasts for EXCLUSIVE content and show us your love and support! : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sage-takes-thyme/id1765472572 Follow Sage Takes Thyme: - IG: https://www.instagram.com/sagetakesthyme/ - Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sagetakesthyme   Follow Womena everywhere: - Subscribe to YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/womena ) - Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/womenaco ) - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/womena ) - Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@womena) - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/womenaco ) - Find out more (https://womena.com/ ) - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://subscribepage.io/Womena-Collective     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    S2 Bonus | Why is "Girlboss" Problematic?
  4. Feb 24

    S2 EP20 | Five Life Lessons We Learned The Hard Way

    What would you tell your younger self if you had met her? For us, the first advice we would give our younger selves is learning how to accept advice, how to slow down in a world that glorifies constant doing, and how to make space to simply exist. In this episode, we explore the importance of surrounding yourself with friends who lift you up and the value of nurturing connections that soothe the soul. We also discuss financial independence, building a fulfilling life outside of relationships, and entering partnerships in a healthy way.   لو قابلتي نفسك وإنتي صغيرة، كنتي هتقوليلها إيه؟ بالنسبة لينا، أول حاجة كنا عايزين نقولها لنفسنا هي إزاي نتعلم نقبل النصايح، نهدى شوية وسط زحمة الحياة، و نعمل لنفسنا مساحة نكون فيها موجودين وبس من غير توقعات. في الحلقة دي بنتكلم عن أهمية الصحاب اللي بنقويك، العلاقات اللي بتغذي الروح، الاستقلال المالي، وبناء حياة مرضية وكاملة بعيدة عن أي علاقة، وكمان إزاي ندخل علاقات صحية.   Hosted by Elissa Freiha (@freiha) and Amira Salah-Ahmed (@amiralx)   SUBSCRIBE to Apple Podcasts for EXCLUSIVE content and show us your love and support! : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sage-takes-thyme/id1765472572   Follow Sage Takes Thyme: - IG: https://www.instagram.com/sagetakesthyme/ - Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sagetakesthyme   Follow Womena everywhere: - Subscribe to YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/womena ) - Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/womenaco ) - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/womena ) - Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@womena) - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/womenaco ) - Find out more (https://womena.com/ ) - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://subscribepage.io/Womena-Collective     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    S2 EP20 | Five Life Lessons We Learned The Hard Way
  5. Feb 16 ·  Bonus • Subscribers Only

    Bonus Episode: Tea Thyme with Hadi and Mostafa

    In this ultra-special Tea Thyme with the Men of Womena bonus, we sit down with Head of Production Hadi Gafaar and Growth & Strategy Specialist Mostafa ElGaaly for their very first on-camera conversation. They talk openly about how working at Womena reshaped the way they understand power, emotions, accountability, and everyday conversations around patriarchy. We dig into the “vibe check” behind how we build our team at Womena, why empathy and shared values matter more than gender, and how we navigate public reactions to men working inside a feminist platform. في الحلقة الخاصة جدًا دي من Tea Thyme مع رجال وومينا، قعدنا مع هادي جعفر رئيس الإنتاج ومصطفى الجالي متخصص النمو والاستراتيجية لأول مرة على الكاميرا. اتكلموا بصراحة عن إزاي شغلهم في وومينا غيّر طريقة فهمهم للسلطة والمشاعر والمسئولية وكمان الحوارات اليومية عن الحياة تحت نظام أبوي. كمان اتكلمنا عن الـ "فايب تشيك" اللي بنبني بيه الفريق، وليه التعاطف والقيم المشتركة أهم من ان الحد يكون راجل أو ست، وإزاي بنتعامل مع ردود فعل الناس لما يشوفوا رجالة شغالين في منصة نسوية. Hosted by Elissa Freiha (@freiha) and Amira Salah-Ahmed (@amiralx) SUBSCRIBE to Apple Podcasts for EXCLUSIVE content and show us your love and support! : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sage-takes-thyme/id1765472572 Follow Sage Takes Thyme: - IG: https://www.instagram.com/sagetakesthyme/ - Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sagetakesthyme Follow Womena everywhere: - Subscribe to YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/womena ) - Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/womenaco ) - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/womena ) - Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@womena) - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/womenaco ) - Find out more (https://womena.com/ ) - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://subscribepage.io/Womena-Collective

    Bonus Episode: Tea Thyme with Hadi and Mostafa
  6. Feb 10

    S2 EP19 | Who Taught Men This? The Patriarchy is Exhausting

    In this episode, we unpack what toxic masculinity really is, not as a label to shame men, but as a pattern that often hurts men first before anyone else. Through an open conversation with mental health advocate Mohamed Elma'andi we explore how men are shaped by childhood and social expectations that leave little room for vulnerability. We dive into how therapy, leaving corporate life, movement, and spirituality helped him rewrite his own definition of masculinity. The episode also explores how women have been carrying much of the emotional labor, why male friendships rarely go beyond the surface, and what it would take collectively to build spaces where men can actually feel, share their emotions, and be understood. في الحلقة دي بنشرح إيه معنى الرجولة السامة، مش كاتهام للرجالة أو عيب عليهم، لكن كنمط غالبًا بيأذي الراجل نفسه قبل أي حد تاني. من خلال حوار مفتوح مع الناشط في مجال الصحة النفسية  محمد المعاندي، بنتكلم عن إزاي الطفولة وتوقعات المجتمع بتشكل الرجالة وتخليهم ما عندهمش مساحة كافية لإظهار مشاعرهم. بنتعمق كمان في إزاي العلاج النفسي، وترك بيئة الشركات، والحركة، والروحانيات ساعدوا معاندي يعيد تعريف الرجولة بالنسبة له. الحلقة كمان بتناقش إزاي الستات غالبًا بيتحملوا معظم العبء العاطفي، وليه صداقات الرجالة غالبا بتكون سطحية، وإيه اللي محتاجين نعمله كمجتمع علشان نخلق مساحات تقدر تسمح للرجالة يحسوا، يشاركوا مشاعرهم، ويكونوا مفهومين. Hosted by Elissa Freiha (@freiha) and Amira Salah-Ahmed (@amiralx) Guest: Mohamed Elma'andi (@ma3andi) SUBSCRIBE to Apple Podcasts for EXCLUSIVE content and show us your love and support! : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sage-takes-thyme/id1765472572   Follow Sage Takes Thyme: - IG: https://www.instagram.com/sagetakesthyme/ - Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sagetakesthyme   Follow Womena everywhere: - Subscribe to YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/womena ) - Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/womenaco ) - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/womena ) - Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@womena) - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/womenaco ) - Find out more (https://womena.com/ ) - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://subscribepage.io/Womena-Collective     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    S2 EP19 | Who Taught Men This? The Patriarchy is Exhausting
  7. Feb 3

    S2 EP18 | Are we still waiting for Mr Darcy? The World of Period Dramas; From Pride and Prejudice to Bridgerton

    In this episode, we step into the world of historical fiction, Regency romance, and period dramas, moving from “Pride and Prejudice” to “Bridgerton” to ask why these romantic classics still matter today. We look at how writers like Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott quietly pushed against a society that confined women, showing that their ideas about choosing love, desire, and independence were actually radical for their time. We also reflect on “Little Women” as an example of how this genre shaped Amira’s love for literature, reminding us that while the language may feel formal and slow today, it carried an early form of feminism that opened new possibilities for women. في الحلقة دي، هنتكلم عن عالم الروايات التاريخية والرومانسية الكلاسيكية، وهننتقل بين "كبرياء وتحامل" و"بريدجرتون" علشان نفهم ليه القصص دي لسه مهمة لحد النهاردة. هنشوف إزاي كتاب زي جين أوستن ولويزا ماي ألكوت تحدوا المجتمع اللي كان مقيد حياة الستات، وورونا إن أفكارهم عن الحب والرغبة والاستقلال كانت جريئة جدًا وقتها. كمان هنتكلم عن "نساء صغيرات" كمثال على إزاي النوع ده من الروايات حبب أميرة في القراءة، ويفكرنا إن رغم إن اللغة ممكن تحسها رسمية وبطيئة دلوقتي، إلا إنها كانت بتحمل شكل بدائي من النسوية وفتحت فرص جديدة للستات. Hosted by Elissa Freiha (@freiha) and Amira Salah-Ahmed (@amiralx) SUBSCRIBE to Apple Podcasts for EXCLUSIVE content and show us your love and support! : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sage-takes-thyme/id1765472572  Follow Sage Takes Thyme: - IG: https://www.instagram.com/sagetakesthyme/ - Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sagetakesthyme Follow Womena everywhere:  - Subscribe to YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/womena )  - Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/womenaco )  - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/womena ) - Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@womena)  - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/womenaco )  - Find out more (https://womena.com/ )  - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://subscribepage.io/Womena-Collective Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    S2 EP18 | Are we still waiting for Mr Darcy? The World of Period Dramas; From Pride and Prejudice to Bridgerton

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About

This is not a cooking show, but it will nourish your soul (maybe). Womena’s founders open a new dialogue with their community and give their perspectives on relevant, topical issues that affect women in and from the Arab world. This podcast will serve as a space for genuine exploration of the authentic experience of two women in search of belonging and balance, using storytelling to reclaim and redefine the distorted narratives that surround them.

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