The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO)

Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy
  • 3.4 (205)
  • Documentary
  • Weekly

The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HER♀️) is an award-winning podcast about how increasing women’s economic power could be the simplest way to boost the global economy. We have covered a wide range of topics, focusing largely on women in Africa and the Global South. These include access to capital, women’s and girls’ rights, child care, informal work, gender data, labor protections, women in leadership, gender-based violence, health, and social norms, among others. HER♀️ received foundational support from the Gates Foundation. This season, exploring the most effective strategies for reducing gender-based violence, is supported by the Ford Foundation.

  1. Oct 30 ·  Bonus

    Helping Women Prosper Across the Globe, On Their Own Terms

    On a special bonus episode of HERO, we’re featuring the work of a global humanitarian organization that has been working to empower women and girls for more than 40 years. Prosper Global, formerly Mercy Corps, works in more than 30 countries on the front lines of conflict and climate change, creating opportunities for communities to prosper, on their own terms. In the first half of the show, we hear from women who have been directly impacted by Prosper Global’s work. Rand Safi, program senior manager at Prosper Global’s Gaza Sky Geeks, describes how her work connecting Palestinians to the digital economy has changed since 2023. Then, Tetiana, a youth development specialist in Ukraine, explains how a Prosper Global grant helped her provide vital education services for her country’s children. Finally, we hear how Ola Mohammed, a farmer in west-central Syria, learned better farming practices and purchased new equipment with help from Prosper Global. Later in the show, Prosper Global CEO Tjada D’Oyen McKenna talks to journalist Fionnuala Sweeney about the challenges in delivering humanitarian aid in a post-USAID era. This conversation was recorded live at FP’s Her Power event on the sidelines of the 81st U.N. General Assembly. This bonus episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is supported by Prosper Global. To learn more about Prosper Global, check out their website: https://www.prosperglobal.org/?source=HIZWPXSTZMNZZ1026261 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Helping Women Prosper Across the Globe, On Their Own Terms

  2. Oct 9 ·  Bonus

    Building Economies That Keep Women Safe

    At Foreign Policy’s Her Power summit, which took place during the UN General Assembly in New York, host Reena Ninan moderated two live conversations about how to build economies that keep women safe. The first is with Abigail Erikson, Chief of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women and Girls, and Dr. Valeria Esquivel, Senior Employment Policies and Gender Specialist at the International Labour Organization. They are both experts on macroeconomic ways to reduce gender-based violence.  Then, Ninan spoke with Roxana Mînzatu, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs, and Preparedness. Mînzatu shared how she approaches gender equality and makes the case for policies that enable women to be safe and thrive.  This bonus episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is supported by the Ford Foundation.  Guests interviewed: Abigail Erikson, Chief of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women and Girls Dr. Valeria Esquivel, Senior Employment Policies and Gender Specialist at the International Labour Organization Roxana Mînzatu, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs, and Preparedness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Building Economies That Keep Women Safe

  3. Sep 29

    Online Gender-Based Violence

    Nearly 60 percent of women and girls have experienced online gender-based violence. It’s a difficult problem to address because it involves governmental policy as well as private companies. How can tech platforms become accountable not only to this abuse, but also, for creating safer digital spaces?  In our final episode of this season, we learn about how technology is facilitating gender-based violence, as well as promising strategies to reduce online GBV. Reporter Sanjna Selva travels to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to understand how the online abuse of a TikTok star rattled the country. She also speaks with Serene Lim, Co-Founder of MataSEA, about how feminist tech approaches could address online GBV in Malaysia. Then host Reena Ninan speaks with Hera Hussain, Founder and CEO of Chayn, a global nonprofit creating online resources to support GBV survivors. Hera shares what she believes are the strongest points of leverage in dealing with major tech platforms.  The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation. Guests interviewed: Hera Hussain, Founder and CEO of Chayn Wani Muthiah, Journalist at The Star Serene Lim, Co-Founder and Coordinator of MataSEA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Online Gender-Based Violence

  4. Sep 22

    Unlikely Allies

    In the fight to end gender-based violence, there’s a stark fact that’s hard to shy away from. Put simply, the majority of GBV perpetrators are men and boys, accounting for more than 90% in most estimates.  On today’s episode, we hear from a variety of perspectives about how to work with men and boys to end GBV. Host Reena Ninan speaks with Gary Barker, Founder, CEO, and President of Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice. Barker has worked in dozens of countries over the course of three decades. His organization has also conducted decades of research on men and boys' attitudes toward gender equality, including gender-based violence. Senior producer Laura Rosbrow-Telem also talks to Laxman Belbase, Co-Director of MenEngage, a global alliance of more than 1,000 groups from some 90 countries. They are creating a shared vision for how to work with men and boys for gender equality. Plus, reporter Ebere Ekeopara covers women recently elected to local traditional councils in Southeastern Nigeria – a phenomenon that began just a few years ago. She speaks with Faithful Ani, a new member of the traditional council in Umuode, Nigeria, John Onovo, chief of the Umuode council, as well as Blessing Uchendu, the head of gender programming at the South Saharan Development Organization, a nonprofit leading local advocacy on GBV. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation. Guests Interviewed: Gary Barker, Founder, CEO, and President of Equimundo Laxman Belbase, Co-Director of MenEngage Blessing Uchendu, South Saharan Development Organization Faithful Ani, Member of Umuode Council John Onovo, Chief of Umuode Council Nnenna Anozie, Human Rights Lawyer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Unlikely Allies

  5. Sep 15

    How to Prevent Gender-Based Violence

    What works to prevent gender-based violence from occurring in the first place? In this episode, reporter Leah Kahunde Ndung’u profiles a leading community-based prevention model called SASA! from the nonprofit Raising Voices in Kampala, Uganda. She also examines the Ugandan government’s newly launched national policy to prevent gender-based violence. Then, host Reena Ninan speaks with Avni Amin from the WHO. She is one of the chief architects of the World Health Organization’s “RESPECT” framework, a global blueprint for policymakers on best practices for preventing gender-based violence. Amin is head of the Rights, Equality and Wellbeing throughout the Life Course Unit, which is part of WHO’s Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation. Guests Interviewed: Avni Amin, WHO Unit Head, Rights, Equality and Wellbeing throughout the Life Course Yvette Alal, Technical advisor at Raising Voices Zainab Kyotungire, SASA activist Jacinta and Solomon, couple with whom Zainab works Lillian Magezi, gender specialist and researcher formerly affiliated with Uganda Christian University Natsnet Ghebrebrhan, Co-Director of Raising Voices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    How to Prevent Gender-Based Violence

  6. Sep 8

    The Economics of Safety

    In the media, gender-based violence is often considered a sexism or cultural problem. But what if it were viewed as an economic issue?  In the newest season of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we talk to thought leaders around the world about what works to reduce gender-based violence.  GBV not only affects nearly 1 in 3 women in their lifetime; It is also a huge drain on the economy. UN Women estimates that GBV costs countries about $1.5 trillion per year, or approximately 2% of global GDP. But greater financial security and autonomy can help protect women from violence.  We begin with a conversation between host Reena Ninan and Sonya Passi, founder and CEO of FreeFrom, a U.S. nonprofit working to end gender-based violence. Passi believes the main challenge for survivors is economic insecurity. Because of this, her organization focuses on directly empowering survivors economically. Then, reporter Elna Schütz travels to a very special clothing store from Mosaic Training Service and Healing Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation. Guests Interviewed: Sonya Passi, Founder and CEO of FreeFrom Tarisai Mchuchu-MacMillan, Executive Director of Mosaic Training Service and Healing Centre Rozita, Mosaic Clothing Store Worker Dr. Deidre Pretorius, family medicine expert from the University of the Witwatersrand Nonnie, Mosaic Clothing Store Worker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Economics of Safety

  7. Season 10, Episode 1 Trailer

    Coming Soon: What Could End Gender-Based Violence?

    Gender-based violence affects nearly 1 in 3 women in their lifetime.  Beyond the trauma it causes, it is also a huge drain on the economy. UN Women estimates that GBV costs countries about $1.5 trillion per year, or approximately 2% of global GDP.  But greater financial security and autonomy can help protect women from violence.  In season 10 of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we examine what it would take to end gender-based violence. Host Reena Ninan and reporters around the world talk to changemakers and thought leaders about the most effective strategies for reducing GBV, including economic security, prevention programs, engaging allies, and curbing online harassment.  The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Mar 25

    The Amazon and the Supply Chain

    The Amazon is the world's biggest tropical rainforest, spanning across nine countries in South America. It is a major source of biodiversity and plant life, containing around one tenth of the world’s known species and over a billion acres of dense forest. But for decades now, this vital resource has been under threat. Nearly 20 percent of the Amazon forest has been lost or degraded. This is largely due to deforestation, where people cut down trees and clear land for other, oftentimes more profitable purposes. A significant aspect of reducing deforestation is making it financially viable to keep the forest. But how?   In our season finale of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we focus on efforts to make supply chains more sustainable: from the source to the end product. We start in the Amazon, where we look at ways to profit from the rainforest without destroying it. And we end up in the boardroom to hear from the president of the outdoor apparel brand Patagonia. First, we hear from Maria Jose “Chochi” Iturralde, executive director of the nonprofit Fundacion Pachaysana. She helped launch Fundacion Pachaysana, based in Ecuador, to provide financial incentives for local people in the Amazon to preserve their forest and their land, such as through regenerative agriculture. This is part of a new economic model called “the bioeconomy,” which uses renewable biological resources, processes, and innovations to produce food, materials, and energy. Then, we hear from leaders at Natura, a global beauty company that sources many of their products from the Amazon rainforest. We speak with Charmian Love, global ambassador at Natura, and Fernanda Rezende Facchini, Natura’s senior sustainability and procurement leader in Latin America, about their bioeconomy work in the Amazon. Finally, host Zainab Salbi sits down with Jenna Johnson, President of Patagonia. The California-based outdoor apparel brand was founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard, a rock climber and adventurer who cares deeply about the environment. Patagonia’s mission has always been to “save our home planet.” Their current president Jenna Johnson shares how fulfilling that mission means meticulously scrutinizing every step of their supply chain. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by Daughters for Earth. Guests interviewed: Jenna Johnson, President of Patagonia Maria Jose “Chochi” Iturralde, Executive Director of Fundacion Pachaysana Charmian Love, Global Ambassador at Natura Fernanda Rezende Facchini, Senior Sustainability and Procurement Specialist at Natura in Latin America Recommended reading: Foreign Policy Analytics: Protecting Biodiversity and Driving Development Through Women’s Leadership Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Amazon and the Supply Chain
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3.4
out of 5
205 Ratings

About

The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HER♀️) is an award-winning podcast about how increasing women’s economic power could be the simplest way to boost the global economy. We have covered a wide range of topics, focusing largely on women in Africa and the Global South. These include access to capital, women’s and girls’ rights, child care, informal work, gender data, labor protections, women in leadership, gender-based violence, health, and social norms, among others. HER♀️ received foundational support from the Gates Foundation. This season, exploring the most effective strategies for reducing gender-based violence, is supported by the Ford Foundation.

Information

  • Channel
    Foreign Policy
  • Creator
    Foreign Policy magazine
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    75
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 062646. Copyright 2021, FP Studios, a division of Foreign Policy/The Slate Group LLC, a Graham Holdings company. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO)

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