The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO)

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A Foreign Policy series about women creating change through economic empowerment, hosted by Reena Ninan. This season, 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. HER♀️ is a Foreign Policy production made possible in part through funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Recent Episodes
  • You Might Like: What Could Go Right?
    Apr 29, 2025 – 30:53
  • You Might Like: Cramped
    Apr 22, 2025 – 42:04
  • You Might Like: The Most Important Question
    Apr 15, 2025 – 01:06:04
  • Series Reflections: Reporters’ Roundtable
    Apr 1, 2025 – 26:08
  • Sabrina Habib Reflects on Kidogo’s Growth
    Mar 25, 2025 – 25:10
  • The Impact of USAID Cuts
    Mar 18, 2025 – 33:34
  • Bonus: Advocacy Advice from Preethi Herman
    Feb 27, 2025 – 15:06
  • Disrupting Aid: The Security and Economic Implications
    Feb 19, 2025 – 23:37
  • The World Bank’s New Gender Strategy
    Dec 17, 2024 – 29:34
  • How Climate Change Impacts Gender
    Dec 10, 2024 – 24:06
  • A Crucial Deadline for a Major Development Fund
    Dec 3, 2024 – 28:49
  • What the Debt Crisis in Kenya Reveals About International Lending
    Nov 26, 2024 – 23:39
  • How Christine Lagarde Fights for Gender Equality
    Nov 19, 2024 – 31:19
  • Coming Soon: Season 7
    Nov 12, 2024 – 02:09
  • Bonus: U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed & Her Power Summit
    Apr 23, 2024 – 49:11
  • When Girl Power Breaks Through
    Apr 16, 2024 – 25:41
  • Pressing the Case for Girls' Education
    Apr 9, 2024 – 21:19
  • Fighting for LGBTQ Rights in Kenya
    Apr 2, 2024 – 26:58
  • The Effort to Reduce Child Marriage in India
    Mar 26, 2024 – 27:09
  • How Access to Contraceptives and Safe Abortions Changes Lives and Economies
    Mar 19, 2024 – 29:33
  • The Economics of Period Poverty
    Mar 12, 2024 – 25:44
  • Coming Soon: The Girls Season
    Mar 4, 2024 – 02:48
  • Can Kenya Keep Its Pledge to End Gender-Based Violence by 2026?
    Feb 13, 2024 – 29:24
  • What It Will Take to End Yellow Fever Epidemics
    Feb 6, 2024 – 24:06
  • What Works in Defeating Workplace Sexual Harassment
    Jan 30, 2024 – 27:36
  • Pushing for Accountability in Nigeria's Tech Industry
    Jan 23, 2024 – 23:20
  • Nigeria's Bid for More Gender Diversity in Politics
    Jan 16, 2024 – 28:41
  • Can Reality TV Get More Women into Political Office?
    Jan 9, 2024 – 26:29
  • Coming Soon: Season 5
    Jan 4, 2024 – 02:35
  • How Strengthening Women Strengthens Economies
    Jul 25, 2023 – 26:03
  • Ending "Sex for Fish" in Kenya
    Jul 18, 2023 – 23:46
  • The Challenging Economics of Women in Mining
    Jul 11, 2023 – 26:47
  • How Men Are Trying to End Gender-Based Violence in South Africa
    Jul 4, 2023 – 28:11
  • Do Gender Quotas Work?
    Jun 27, 2023 – 26:49
  • Religious Leaders as Advocates for Female Success
    Jun 20, 2023 – 21:32
  • Coming Soon: Season 4 on Male Allies
    Jun 13, 2023 – 02:40
  • Bonus Episode: Women's Financial Inclusion Davos Panel
    Mar 8, 2023 – 35:05
  • Developing Male Allies in the Democratic Republic of Congo
    Jan 24, 2023 – 30:48
  • Striving for Affordable Child Care in Bangladesh
    Jan 17, 2023 – 23:32
  • Protecting Migrant Domestic Workers
    Jan 10, 2023 – 26:25
  • How Shea Nut Collectives Are Empowering African Women
    Jan 3, 2023 – 33:08
  • How Nigerian women are changing social norms through the film industry
    Dec 20, 2022 – 24:08
  • The Hidden Economics of Female Genital Mutilation
    Dec 13, 2022 – 27:05
  • Coming Soon: Season 3
    Dec 6, 2022 – 03:18
  • How Better Data Helped End Child Marriage in Indonesia
    Apr 12, 2022 – 27:17
  • Why Small Business Owners Have Such a Hard Time Getting Loans
    Apr 5, 2022 – 31:22
  • What Works in Microfinance
    Mar 29, 2022 – 26:20
  • The Battle for Women’s Property Rights in Kenya
    Mar 22, 2022 – 24:25
  • How a South African Woman’s Fight for Marital Rights Changed Her Country
    Mar 15, 2022 – 23:34
  • What Melinda French Gates and Esther Duflo Think Women Need Right Now
    Mar 8, 2022 – 22:32
Recent Reviews
  • greg7362
    Not good
    Was pretty generic not groundbreaking and lame
  • Goranger22
    Great stories
    Thanks for highlighting these stories and leaders
  • Womencandoit
    Ms
    I have never written a review before, but this podcast is so extraordinary, I just had to . I can’t wait for the next episode. Finally , there is a podcast about female empowerment that is deep, fresh, true, and exciting. The episodes are well researched with solid data and followed up with meaningful personal stories that give it perspective. What I found so fascinating is that while the innovations took place in African and Asian countries, which I loved learning about, they could also have broader implications and be revolutionary , even in their simplicity , if applied here in the US. Take, for example, the first episode where child development is vastly improved by training daycare workers, while also stabilizing many women’s and families’ financial stability. A societal win-win. The host Reena Ninan has a good, down to earth style in telling the story and at eliciting reactions from the people interviewed. All in all, the podcast is valuable in and of itself and could spark new ways to think about our own social problems.
  • Learning1908toalwaysb1st
    Thoroughly enjoyed this podcast
    I loved hearing how women in different parts of the world are being empowered to have choice and a voice! I hope there’s another season that will seek to improve and even speak on women in America. I’d like to see all women praised and acknowledged whether you’re a woman who wants to work or not as all are heroes. Thanks for the podcast! My first review written ever.
  • Kmollion
    A Must-Listen To Podcast for Women's Rights
    Here in the USA we often take for granted our liberties. It can feel as if we live in a bubble. This podcast sheds light on the plight of our sisters in other parts of the world. This podcast is informative, well-researched, and a delight to listen to. I highly recommend. Five stars!
  • We're All Just doing our Best
    10/10
    Great podcast exploring ways to empower women across the globe.
  • Zeconomist
    Promotes antiquated concepts of female “empowerment”
    Aside from the absolutely staggering amount of social programs, both public and private, aimed at helping women, women are medicated, depressed, and miserable. They are abandoning the most important and fundamental job in society: raising children and passing on culture. Now we have corporations and governments raising our kids. For what? So they can slave away behind a desk, barely make back their money due to transportation and childcare costs, and abandon their kids? Women entering the workforce *only* benefits major corporations, driving down wages. Traditional gender roles have worked for thousands of years for good reason. Not surprised that this is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation. What an evil, evil organization. Make motherhood great again.
  • Tower throne
    Yea b e
    c ?z.?. C. Xesseb.g f in Im Sxc d
  • nickname92829
    Fascinating!
    A fascinating & inspirational deep dive into the myriad ways women are driving yet unacknowledged forces in economies around the world.
  • policyfan
    Thoughtful, absorbing, innovative
    Wonderful show and host exploring creative women around the world doing innovative work to the benefit of their communities and countries. Interviews are compelling, and I learn a lot.
  • tooky 2243
    Amazing insight
    This podcast goes beyond the same old stories about women in developing countries and actually explains why things are happening and what can be done to forge a new path forward. It’s also great to hear directly from inspiring women from all over the world.
  • Zazzy podcasts
    A new podcast that goes deeper
    Wonderful! Love these perspectives and stories from across the Global South!
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