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THE ADVOCATE – In Good Company and In The Thick
Amidst challenging times for us all globally, Louise Jenkins is a firm believer in the power of positivity. While we navigate working from home alongside families and roommates, or finding ourselves out of work entirely, it’s important to channel happiness and remain connected, wherever and however we can. One of Louise’s favorite ways is listening to podcasts, particularly those created, hosted, and led by women. With topics ranging from politics, business, and even running, she introduces us to a bevy of wonderful, women-made shows.
In Good Company with Otegha Uwagba
What’s its vibe? This is a great, and (to be honest) essential, podcast for all creative working women! Founder of Women Who – a London-based community for creative working women and author of Little Black Book, Otegha Uwagba creates a great vibe with all her guests. Her engaging interviews with smart, passionate and intelligent women has taught me so much and given me new perspective as a female freelancer. I love the final section, “Ask Otegha”, where she plays the role of “career agony aunt” providing practical advice for listeners, from guidance on managing payment to words of wisdom on self-promotion – an area even 6 years into freelance life I still have to work at. That’s what makes this such a great listen – regardless of your experience, this is definitely one to get your ears and mind hooked on!
How’d you hear about it, Lou? Following Reni Eddo-Lodge, I saw her tweet about her appearance on the podcast and so I thought I’d check it out and haven’t looked back since!
Recommended episode: Like many of the other recommendations, there are many, but I think the one I learned a lot from was with Reni Eddo-Lodge and the conversation on challenges and setting boundaries as a freelancer – how often have you been asked “can I just pick your brain?” and it being OK to say “well sure but there is a cost to that”. Seriously, if you’re a working woman regardless of the sector, get your ears tuned into this and then every other episode!
What’s its vibe? This podcast is co-hosted by award-winning journalists Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela. As journalists of colour, Maria and Julio bring the news missing from the mainstream – hard hitting, much needed conversations on race, politics and identity that few people are having or want to have – and I absolutely love it! If you want to broaden your knowledge on social politics outside of your bubble, understand the realities of social movements and individuals working globally on critical issues from defying the patriarchy, domestic care, right up to the media’s reporting of the coronavirus, then this is the podcast for you!
How’d you hear about it, Lou? I follow journalist and feminist author Mona Eltahawy on Twitter; she is a fierce feminist whose work I have admired greatly for some time and it was actually her tweet about the episode she features on that got my ears hooked and immediately subscribed!
Recommended episode: Well, it has to be “Enemy of the Patriarchy”, with journalist and feminist author Mona Eltahawy! Along with discussing her latest book, the trio talk about #MeToo, the power of feminist activism online, and the importance of pushback and all women’s voices being at the core of defying the patriarchy!
Louise Jenkins is a feminist based in the UK. She is a freelancer in women’s and girls’ rights whose work focuses on ending all forms of violence against women and girls, and the power and importance of feminist movements to bring about such change. When her ears aren’t glued to music or her heads in a book she can be found losing her ears and mind to an eclectic list of podcasts, primarily ones led by strong, passionate women.