The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO)

The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is back for a very special seventh season. If you’re a longtime listener, you’ll know our show generally focuses on women from the global majority, or the global south. But this time, we wanted to cover the banks and institutions shaping global funding—particularly as the world faces an unprecedented amount of governmental debt. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global public debt is expected to top $100 trillion by the end of this year, its highest level ever. Many countries are facing painful choices about how to spend fewer resources, including on programs critical to women and girls. We recorded most of our interviews at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in late October, right before the U.S. presidential election. Here, financial leaders decide how to spend billions of dollars on top development priorities, such as poverty reduction, climate change, and gender equality. We’ll try to answer some big questions this season: How are countries and multilateral institutions grappling with so much government debt? What are they doing to prepare for the new U.S. administration? And how is all this impacting the fight for gender equality? For the season premiere, we wanted to start by looking at what has worked in the past. We talk to two incredible women who have both been finance ministers and leaders at multilateral institutions about how they have advanced women and girls economically. Guests and organizations:  Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank and the former head of the IMF Malado Kaba, the former head of gender at the African Development Bank and current managing director of Falémé Conseil First, host Reena Ninan speaks with Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, and former finance minister of France. She is the first woman ever to hold any of these roles. Lagarde was also named by Forbes as the No. 2 most powerful woman in the world last year. Special thanks to our media partner for this season, the Atlantic Council. They hosted Lagarde at an event during the IMF and World Bank meetings right before our interview. Then, Reena interviews Malado Kaba, the former director of the Gender, Women, and Civil Society Department of the African Development Bank. She was also the first ever female finance and economy minister for the Republic of Guinea. Kaba is currently the managing director of Falémé Conseil, a consultancy firm focused on African economic growth. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part this season by the Gates Foundation, Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, and the Atlantic Council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With global public debt reaching historic highs, how are multilateral institutions approaching gender equality? This season, launching November 19th, we talk to some of the biggest financial and development leaders about the long fight to support women and girls at the IMF/World Bank annual meetings. Host Reena Ninan's interviews include: Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank Malado Kaba, Former Head of Gender at the African Development Bank Gargee Ghosh, President of Global Policy and Advocacy at the Gates Foundation Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part by the Gates Foundation, Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, and the Atlantic Council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is back with an all-new season. This time, all our stories are about something that has been getting a lot of media attention lately: Girls. What do they really need to succeed right now? And how can we work with them to get there? For this first episode, we focus on an often hidden aspect of girls’ economic lives that has a significant impact: period products. According to the World Bank, as many as 500 million people every month lack access to menstrual products or facilities. This cuts across all countries, including big pockets of the U.S. and the UK.  The inability to afford period products is often called “period poverty.” Not only does period poverty make many girls’ lives harder; it also affects their ability to stay in school. Many miss school days during their period and it can contribute to them leaving entirely. In India, for example, around 23 million girls drop out of school every year because they do not have a bathroom at school where they feel comfortable managing their period.  On today’s show, we look at solutions to period poverty and how truly transformational it would be for girls. First, reporter Elna Schutz talks to activists who have successfully advocated for affordable period products in South Africa, including students. Then host Reena Ninan speaks with Sia Towo, director of the nonprofit Femme International, about how to end period poverty. Her organization offers menstrual health education, conducts research, and distributes period products in East Africa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 6 of "The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women" (HER♀️) launches Tuesday, March 12th. This time, 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. "The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women" is a Foreign Policy podcast supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta pledged to end gender-based violence by 2026, soon before the end of his term in 2022. With two years left before 2026, is Kenya still on track to fulfill the promises made to Kenyan women?  On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we talk to women’s rights activists who have pressed the Kenyan government to uphold its pledge to end gender-based violence. First, reporter Pauline Ongaji speaks with Audrey Mugeni, Co-Founder of Counting Dead Women Kenya, about the state of femicide in Kenya. Then we talk to Anne Ireri, Executive Director of the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya, or FIDA Kenya. Founded more than 35 years ago, FIDA Kenya has provided legal aid to millions of women – and thousands since Kenyatta’s pledge to end gender-based violence. Ireri talked about that pledge and FIDA Kenya’s other work with our senior producer Laura Rosbrow-Telem.  While this is our last episode of the season, you will not need to wait long for HERO Season 6. Starting in March, we will focus our entire next season on girls – how they’re thriving, despite the odds. And what they need most from the rest of the world right now. So stay tuned.  Finally, we would love to hear your thoughts about this season, which was all about accountability. We are conducting a listener survey to better understand what you like about the podcast and what you’d like to hear in future episodes. 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 the link below. Thank you very much for your time and feedback. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/heropodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uganda’s health ministry has launched a campaign to end yellow fever epidemics in the country by 2026. According to the CDC, about 30,000 people die from yellow fever each year, with approximately 90% in Africa. Infants and the elderly are most at risk. So the impact of this disease is more heavily felt by women, who are most often burdened with caregiving.  On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we visit Uganda, one of 27 high-risk countries in Africa working with the World Health Organization and other partners to try to end yellow fever epidemics by 2026. First, reporter Leah Kahunde helps us better understand the state of yellow fever in Uganda. She speaks with health journalist Beatrice Nyangoma, whose investigative reporting forced officials to confront flaws in their vaccination procedures. Then, host Reena Ninan talks to two WHO experts about Uganda’s current yellow fever vaccination campaign: Dr. Pamela Bakkabulindi, an immunization consultant in Uganda with the World Health Organization, and Dr. Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, deputy director for Disease Control and program manager for the Expanded Program on Immunization at the Ghana Health Service. If you’d like to learn more about WHO’s vision to eliminate yellow fever epidemics, also known as their EYE strategy, you can check out their podcast, “EYE on Yellow Fever.” The EYE Strategy’s overarching goal is to eliminate all yellow fever epidemics by 2026 and protect almost 1 billion people against this deadly disease. https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/eye-on-yellow-fever/id1578908498 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The level of press freedom in Kenya media outlets is among the highest in East Africa, according to the most recent World Press Freedom Index. And Reuters’ research claims that trust in the news grew by six percent last year in Kenya, right after an election. However, there is still much work to be done when it comes to making newsrooms a safe place for Kenyan women. According to a survey from Women in News in early 2022, about 90% of women working in Kenyan media reported they were likely to be sexually harassed while on assignment. And for both women and gender nonconforming respondents, more than half said they expected to face sexual harassment in the workplace. Thankfully, leaders in Kenyan media have started to take meaningful steps to address this issue.  On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we will look at what actually works when it comes to ending sexual harassment at work. First, reporter Sharon Kiburi talks to Judie Kaberia. During her tenure as executive director of the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK), Kaberia helped Kenyan media outlets develop policies and procedures to tackle sexual harassment.  Then, host Reena Ninan speaks with Prof. Alexandra Kalev, a Tel Aviv University associate professor of sociology and dean of the sociology and anthropology departments. Kalev and her colleague Harvard Prof. Frank Dobbin recently wrote a book together called Getting to Diversity. Among other workplace inclusivity topics, Kalev and Dobbin conducted groundbreaking research about how to decrease sexual harassment in the workplace. According to Kalev, most of the well-intentioned programs that they analyzed actually backfired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite a global downturn for tech, 2022 was a record year for African startup funding. According to data from Partech Partners, Africa tech financing in 2022 was 4.5 times larger than it was four years prior. And Nigeria is one of the continent’s main tech hubs.  However, underneath this success story are less convenient truths – including widespread gender discrimination and financial impropriety. On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we will look at Nigerian tech leaders’ accountability efforts. We begin with a story from reporter Nelly Kalu about tech entrepreneur Chioma Agwuegbo’s efforts to increase the number of women in Nigerian tech through her organization TechHerNG – and the backlash she has faced because of it. Then, host Reena Ninan talks to Nigerian entrepreneur and angel investor Ada Osakwe, who shares what she thinks is needed to have real accountability in Nigerian tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nigeria is increasingly important on the global stage. It is the sixth most populous country and has the biggest economy in Africa. It is also home to one of the world’s largest film industries and is a major oil exporter.  Despite these achievements, gender parity in its political leadership has declined. As of last year’s elections, women make up less than 4 percent of Nigeria’s parliament. Now, Nigeria ranks among the bottom 10 countries for female representation in national government.  On today’s episode of the "Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women", host Reena Ninan speaks with Nichole Grossman from American University about her ongoing research on female political candidates in Nigeria. Grossman shares what she learned from dozens of interviews about what would be needed to increase the number of women in office. Then, reporter Yecenu Sasetu talks to a Nigerian female politician, Honourable Kate Raymond Mamuno, about how she got elected. Her successful campaign was largely due to assistance from a nonprofit called Connected Development. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season, host Reena Ninan and reporters across Africa will meet courageous women holding leaders accountable in various sectors, including healthcare, startups, and government. Specifically, we are looking at promises made about gender equality – and seeing if they have been delivered. For example, the government of Kenya pledged to end gender-based violence by 2026. And the ministry of health in Uganda is trying to eradicate yellow fever. It is ambitious to make these kinds of pledges. But are these leaders really delivering on these promises for women and girls?  For this first episode, we decided to cover a surprising program: a reality TV show. On Ms President, women compete to become the next “president” of Kenya, where they get training to become politicians – leaders we can hold accountable. This wasn’t a typical reality TV production. In fact, a nonprofit called Media Focus in Africa launched the show with the support of the EU and the Canadian government. Reporter Eunice Maina interviews contestant Nereah Amondi Oketch to find out how she fared on the show and whether Ms President was successful at getting more women into elected office.  Finally, we are conducting a listener survey to better understand what you like about the podcast and what you’d like to hear in future episodes. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 5 of "The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women" (HER♀️) launches Tuesday, January 9th. This time, we are looking at promises made about gender equality – and seeing if they have been delivered. For example, the government of Kenya pledged to end gender-based violence by 2026. And the ministry of health in Uganda is trying to eradicate yellow fever. It is ambitious to make these kinds of pledges. But it is much harder to achieve these lofty goals. Are these leaders really delivering on these promises for women and girls?  Join us as host Reena Ninan and reporters across Africa meet courageous women holding leaders accountable in various sectors, including healthcare, startups, and government. "The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women" is a Foreign Policy podcast funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout this season, we’ve looked at how women are pushing back against legal, political, and cultural barriers to better themselves and their communities. And we’ve centered our conversations on the male allies who have made it their mission to fight gender inequities. For this final episode of our season, we’re looking forward and talking to women in power. And not just any women in power – leaders who are advancing gender equality in their sectors.   First host Reena Ninan's talks to Ratna Sahay, Senior Advisor on Gender at the International Monetary Fund. Sahay shares data that shows how empowering women strengthens economies. Then Reena speaks with Rachel Vogelstein who advises President Biden on Gender Policy. They discusses U.S. efforts to expand gender equality across the globe.   Show note: Reena's conversation with Ratna Sahay first took place at Foreign Policy’s annual Her Power Summit. The next summit will be on October 25th. Feel free to contact podcasts@foreignpolicy.com if you’d like more details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kenya passed a number of gender reforms after a new constitution passed in 2010. It’s one thing to get the laws passed. But it’s another to get them implemented, especially in male-dominated sectors like fishing.  On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we’re looking at how Kenya’s legal reforms have created new opportunities for women in the fishing industry, such as the Fisheries Management and Development Act of 2016. However, women still face significant barriers in the fishing sector, including many reports of gender-based violence.  Reporter Thurea Mwadzaya visits a fishing community to see how policy developments are starting to take hold there, including talking to female leaders and male allies from Coastal Women in Fisheries. Then host Reena Ninan speaks with Margaret Gatonye, former CEO of the Aquaculture Association of Kenya. She helped advise the Kenyan government about the Fisheries Management and Development Act. Gatonye is currently pursuing a PhD in Global Governance at the University of Massachusetts, focusing in part on women in fishing in Kenya.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lynn Gitu is a program manager at the nonprofit IMPACT. They help decrease conflicts around natural resources in Africa and enable communities to benefit more from their local resources – rather than them getting stolen, for example, by armed militias. According to IMPACT research, Gitu says artisanal mining – or small-scale mining – accounts for about 90% of the minerals produced on the continent. And approximately 30% of artisanal miners in Africa are women.  Gitu asserts that mining is much more profitable than other fields for women on the continent. She explains, “Our research with women directly has shown us that when they are supported, they often earn 300 times more from the mining sector than from any other sector.” However, if women are not supported well, they reap much less of the rewards.  On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, reporter Leah Kahunde visits women artisanal stone miners in Uganda, as well as male allies helping these women advance in the industry. Then, host Reena Ninan picks up her conversation with Lynn Gitu, an IMPACT program leader in Uganda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa has the ignominious reputation of being the rape capital of the world and continues to battle an epidemic of gender-based violence. It is devastating for women and girls both physically and psychologically—but also economically. South Africa’s Mail & Guardian reports that the country lost about $2 billion in 2019 from the estimated costs of gender-based violence, including hospital bills, loss of productivity, and judicial costs. On today’s episode of The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we talk to two groups of male allies in South Africa influencing fellow men in unique ways. First, reporter Elna Schutz talks with men from Sonke Gender Justice, including a man whose life changed because of a Sonke program he participated in while in prison. Then, host Reena Ninan speaks with Christopher Isike, a professor of political science at the University of Pretoria. He has conducted 10 years’ worth of qualitative research with men about why they are violent toward women and how to change their thought patterns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices