Best FiLiA Podcasts (2025)

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Out in The Commons: FiLiA 2025 | 16 1:10:58

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23d ago1:10:58

1:10:58

A chat about our trip to FiLiA, the largest grassroots feminist conference in Europe. Celebrating their tenth anniversary, FiLiA 2025 was held in Brighton, UK and hosted 300 speakers from 75 countries and nearly 3,000 attendants - and Elle was there to soak it all up. In this episode Elle shares the inside scoop about what she saw and heard - the g…

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Man-oh-Manosphere | 15 59:45

1M ago59:45

59:45

A chat about boys and men. Natalie and Elle explore the current state of masculinity - male attitudes, behaviors and culture. And how do men perceive themselves and the challenges they face? In this episode, we highlight both struggles and positive shifts, digging into men’s economic anxiety, loneliness, violence, and the growing manosphere, but al…

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Not Your Baby Machine | 14 1:10:41

2M ago1:10:41

1:10:41

A chat about babies and birthrates. In our final episode on the 4B movement, Natalie and Elle unpack the many reasons why women across the world are opting out of procreating. It is being proclaimed that the human birthrate is in free fall and that we are in a ‘plummeting population crisis’ - but is the birthrate panic warranted? We look at the env…

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Motherhood on Trial | 13 1:15:24

2M ago1:15:24

1:15:24

A chat about mothers and family court. After years of researching and documenting women’s experiences in family court, Elle and Natalie share their observations and insights of what happens in this very hidden and secret world. Through the lens of “what’s old is new,” we discover that while the tools have changed, the aim is the same - to punish wo…

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Sexodus | 12 Part 2 31:47

3M ago31:47

31:47

By Elle Kamihira & Natalie Blundell

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Sexodus | 12 Part 1 46:19

3M ago46:19

46:19

By Elle Kamihira & Natalie Blundell

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#213 ANDREA DWORKIN: On Fire! 32:08

4M ago32:08

32:08

'I asked her: do you hate men? She said: ’This thing about hating men is really more about standing up to male dominance WITHOUT apology. Meet Andrea Dworkin! In this episode, Roberta Pyzel discusses her documentary DWORKIN: a close-up portrait of the brilliant, compassionate, and courageous feminist icon. Dworkin’s lifelong commitment to elevating…

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Women in the Wild | 11 59:51

4M ago59:51

59:51

A chat with campers at an all-women’s summer camp. In this special episode, we take you on a trip into the woods, where you’ll meet women from every walk of life and hear why they made the long journey into the wilderness to gather. In the midst of what we perceive to be a profound cultural awakening, the women we met spoke from the heart about wha…

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Endless Work | 10 59:04

5M ago59:04

59:04

A chat about women and work. When talking about labor, we divide paid work from unpaid work, men’s work from women’s work, domestic labor from professional work, and work that is considered valuable versus work that is invisible. In a conversation that goes far beyond the pay gap, we examine what “work” means to women. In this episode Elle and Nata…

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Going Solo | 9 57:40

6M ago57:40

57:40

A chat about being single by choice. More and more women are opting out of not just marriage, but out of relationships with men altogether - and choosing new paths to economic independence, professional and personal fulfillment, and adventure - that does not include a man as part of the plan. Women are also connecting with each other across culture…

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#212 Healing from Non State Torture 54:09

6M ago54:09

54:09

'It's important to say that even today we know that children are in the court systems and their voices are not being heard in a way that is respected. If you can't name something, you can't heal from it.' In this episode Sally Jackson from FiLiA talks to Jeanne Sarson, Co founder Non-State Torture and Linda McDonald Co founder of Non-State Torture …

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Finding The One | 8 1:00:14

6M ago1:00:14

1:00:14

A chat about dating. In part two of our series on the 4B movement, Elle and Natalie take a read on what is happening in dating culture, listening to a diverse cross-section of women to try to understand why a growing number of women are saying no to dating. EPISODE LINKS Influence of Sex and the City | Emily the Recruiter Hook-Up Culture | Cunty Ch…

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Be a Good Girl | 7 59:52

7M ago59:52

59:52

A chat about coming of age in a man’s world. As Rebecca Solnit says, “It gets you even if it doesn’t get you. You have to think every day of your life as a girl and a young woman, if I wear this what will happen? If I go out, what will happen?” and girls and women are getting the message that “this is not your world, this is not your street, this i…

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Mad Men | 6 Part 2 43:09

7M ago43:09

43:09

A continued chat about Project 2025 and the Trump Administration. In this episode we cover the gutting of the Department of Education and its ripple effects, and Trump’s inaugural-day declaration that there are only two sexes, and what that means for women. Elle and Natalie talk frankly about how the Democratic Party abandoned women during the Bide…

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Mad Men | 6 Part 1 54:41

8M ago54:41

54:41

A chat about the Trump Administration and their 180-Day Playbook. Were fears about Project 2025 justified or was it simply fear-mongering from the Left? In this 2-part series, Elle and Natalie attempt to decode key chapters of Project 2025 and what it means for women. Part 2 will be out next week. EPISODE LINKS Identity Politics - Jackson Katz | Th…

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I Do, or I Don't? | 5 1:00:58

8M ago1:00:58

1:00:58

A chat about marriage. In this first episode of our four-part series on 4B, the feminist movement from South Korea, Elle and Natalie dive into all things marriage. We explore why we marry, how women are faring within marriage, and why women are choosing not to marry. Episode Links 4B Movement | ABC Australia I Don’t | Clementine Ford Letters from a…

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#211 Explaining the 1980 Hague Abduction Convention – What Every International Family Needs to Know 56:22

8M ago56:22

56:22

"What it has meant to me is that I haven't seen my children for over 10 years." In this episode, Anita Gera explains the work of Hague Explained, a registered non-profit organisation that provides customised workshops to help internationally mobile families understand the legal and emotional risks of relocating children across borders. Anita also s…

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Feminism-ish | 4 56:05

8M ago56:05

56:05

A chat about the highs and lows of feminist movements past and present. We spotlight significant events across the world that have had huge impacts for women. We also take a hard look at the current state of feministing and its promises of so-called women’s empowerment and individual liberation. Episode Links Gail Dines | Subject to Power 1975 Icel…

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Ill Intentions and Hidden Tactics | 3 58:08

9M ago58:08

58:08

A chat exploring a new perspective on coercive control. Natalie and Elle have a wide-ranging conversation about the evolution of coercive control - as a behavior and as a covert strategy used by men to control women. Also discussing the many challenges in defining this behavior in law and language, as well as how we as a society, deal with men who …

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Within these Four Walls | 2 56:28

9M ago56:28

56:28

A chat about relationship abuse. In this episode, Natalie and Elle have a provocative discussion about how men’s violence within the four walls of the home is never contained - it spills over into our communities and all of society. We also have a critical look at the well-funded industry built to respond to domestic violence and reflect on why men…

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Eyes Wide Open | 1 40:35

9M ago40:35

40:35

A chat about women’s collective awakening to patriarchal backlash. At a time when women are enjoying unprecedented gains and liberties, we are also seeing a roll-back of rights and a rise of violent misogyny. The collective actions of yesteryear’s feminism won women significant freedoms, protections and material gains, but where are we now? In the …

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Trailer 3:59

9M ago3:59

3:59

Have women achieved equality or are we losing all our rights? Clashing narratives tell us women can do anything, while we’re simultaneously being shackled and shut down. Hosts Natalie Blundell and Elle Kamihira chat candidly about how women are actually faring, in our cultures and in our lives.By chatinthecommons

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#210 La Leche League: The Mother-to-Mother Breastfeeding Organisation Captured by Gender Ideology 53:19

1y ago53:19

53:19

“I don't ever want to make the mothers have to be the ones to gatekeep for who comes in. I'm going to do that for them.” La Leche League is a charity that was set up to offer mother-to-mother breastfeeding support and to protect the natural course of breastfeeding and the mother-baby dyad. Ruth, Rej, and Loreto all had their accreditation as LLL br…

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#209 Tackling Strangulation: Working Together to Save Lives 43:59

1y ago43:59

43:59

We are increasingly hearing about cases of strangulation of women, both in relationships and, thanks to porn culture, increasingly in our sex lives. In this episode, Sally Jackson, FiLiA Trustee; Bernie Ryan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS); and Marianne McGowan, Survivor Liaison and Research Worke…

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#208 Women's Wednesday 53:16

1y ago53:16

53:16

"I don't feel that loneliness anymore. I feel part of something." After attending FiLiA in Portsmouth, one woman returned to her workplace determined to set up a women’s group. Two years later, the group has grown in size and confidence. In this interview, Kiri Tunks discusses with the women how they set up the group, what they do in their meetings…

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#207 Alternatives to Prison for Women 44:14

1y ago44:14

44:14

Does prison work for Women? What alternatives are being tried and how successful are they - what do we even mean by 'success'? "The short answer to How many Women are in prison, is far too many! The biggest challenges are funding and investment" In this episode FiLiA trustee Sally Jackson, Dr April Smith, a criminologist and psychologist, and Rhona…

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#206 Introducing WAVE 54:09

1+ y ago54:09

54:09

FiLiA is a member of Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE) In this podcast we find out more about WAVE's work. Sally Jackson interviews, Stephanie Futter Orel Executive Director WAVE, Branislava Aradjan Project and Youth ambassador Coordinator and Beverly Mtui, Communications Coordinator of WAVE WAVE is a network of over 170 European women’s NGOs wo…

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#205 Huge Legal Victory for Feminists Over Pimps in France 54:31

1+ y ago54:31

54:31

In this episode Luba Fein, FiLiA volunteer, Alyssa Ahrabare, Advocacy Manager for European Network of Migrant Women and Hema Sibi, advocacy coordinator for The Coalition for the Abolition of Prostitution discuss a huge legal victory in France. The European Court of Human Rights upholds France's right to ban the purchase of prostitution. France enfo…

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#204 Beyond the Rhetoric: The European Council and the Misrepresentation of Sex Industry Exploitation 1:13:07

1+ y ago1:13:07

1:13:07

"It is not our job to question individual choices of women in prostitution. We must examine the system and the context in which women's choices take place" Anna Zobnina In February 2024, Dunja Mijatović, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, published a statement entitled "Protecting the human rights of sex workers". It was a …

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#203 #HerNameWasChloeHolland - A Mother’s campaign following her daughter’s suicide 40:56

1+ y ago40:56

40:56

Tragically Chloe felt her only escape from the coercive and controlling behaviour she was subjected to was to end her own life. Her Mum Sharon wants the perpetrator held to account for her death and so is campaigning for a change in the law so that he could be charged with manslaughter by coercive or controlling behaviour. Hear about how they have …

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#202 Women's Ways, Women's Plays - A story of working class women's theatre 1:09:12

1+ y ago1:09:12

1:09:12

"I just hope that in capturing these stories that we've done something to archive working class, women's experience and that it'll be there if people wanna watch it or read it. We've done our bit and we can use the methods to look at any issue we want" - Paula Boulton This podcast is about working class women and the theatre women make. It is a dis…

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#201 Sarah Ditum Exposes the ‘TOXIC’ Nature of Pop Culture and Charts A Way Forward 1:20:57

2y ago1:20:57

1:20:57

Raquel Rosario Sanchez and Sarah Ditum discuss the tropes and stereotypes about women in the public eye and how they reflect on the wider struggles women face in society. Ditum's clever analysis dissects how patriarchy operates to ensure that women, including those who are extremely privileged, are used as examples to venerate and later on to destr…

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#200 Palestine and Israel: Women and the movement for peace 1:09:36

2y ago1:09:36

1:09:36

This interview took place on January 25th 2024 and permission was given to share this week. "We don't want to live in this violence, in this conflict anymore. We want to end it. And as Yael always said, we shouldn't, you know, keep managing the conflict. We should resolve it. And this is why we are raising our voice and we want the international su…

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#199 Widows for Peace with Margaret Owen OBE 1:01:57

2y ago1:01:57

1:01:57

In this episode, Margaret Owen OBE founder of Widows for Peace (WPD) highlights the plight of the world’s dark secret of marginalised ‘invisible’ widows: a vast and growing number of women of all ages living in extreme poverty, forgotten, abused and neglected internationally, nationally at grassroots levels. Featuring: Lily Thapa, Founder of WHR/SW…

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#198 Speak Out Survivors 52:22

2y ago52:22

52:22

"It's not rocket science... you investigate the suspect, not the victim," – Harriet Wistrich. In this episode, Suzy Angus and Emma Bryson, survivors of sexual violence and founders of Speak Out Survivors, meet Dr Oona Brooks-Hay (Reader in Criminology at the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research at the University of Glasgow) and Harriet Wi…

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#197 Live From FiLiA 2023 Glasgow 50:09

2y ago50:09

50:09

"One of the things I love about the feminist movement is that we're each other's catalysts. We are always pushing each other to go for our dreams and to maybe try that project that we're thinking of, make it a reality somehow." Dr Bec Wonders reports from FiLiA 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. Listen to interviews with an array of attendees and participa…

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#196 Hadley Freeman On Life Beyond Anorexia 56:15

2+ y ago56:15

56:15

Hadley Freeman On Life Beyond Anorexia and Breaking Out of the Good Girl Socialisation In this episode, Hadley Freeman discusses her latest book 'Good Girls: A Story and Study of Anorexia' with FiLiA spokeswoman Raquel Rosario Sánchez, in which she shares a harrowing first-person account of her decades-long struggle with mental illness. She address…

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#195 Consuelo Rivera Fuentes at FiLiA 2019 19:01

2+ y ago19:01

19:01

"When they arrested me, I thought it was because I was protesting with other teachers, and students. But later, I realized that they targeted me and other women because I am a lesbian." We are paying tribute to Consuelo Rivera-Fuentes, who has passed away, by sharing her talk at FiLiA 2019 on her experiences of pain through torture and imprisonment…

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#194 Own My Life - a feminist recovery programme for domestic abuse survivors 48:46

2+ y ago48:46

48:46

"Creating this women only space, we're creating a journey for women to be honouring each other, celebrating each other, and that's something that women haven't had much time with." Sally Jackson leads a discussion between Natalie Collins, creator of the Own My Life Course, Catherine Mc Quarrie from Border Women's Aid, and Danielle, survivor and fac…

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#193 Laetitia Ky Revolutionises the Feminist Politics of Afro Hair and Art 1:38:18

2+ y ago1:38:18

1:38:18

We are delighted to interview Ivorian artist, social commentator and author Laetitia Ky on the FiLiA Podcast. She is a political artist known for her hair sculptures, which she uses to raise awareness about the structural inequality and oppression of women and girls. She is a one-of-a-kind artist, activist and creative voice based in the Ivory Coas…

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#192 Faika El-Nagashi's Intersectional Politics are Here to Stay 1:35:23

2+ y ago1:35:23

1:35:23

Austrian Parliamentarian Faika El-Nagashi joins FiLiA Spokeswoman Raquel Rosario Sánchez to discuss the intersectional nature of her multi-faceted work as a feminist politician, her defence of lesbian rights and her background as a campaigner for social justice. Faika El-Nagashi is a long-time feminist & lesbian human rights advocate. She is a poli…

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#191 Discussion about the book Women Unsilenced: Our Refusal To Let Torturer-Traffickers Win 1:02:02

2+ y ago1:02:02

1:02:02

Lisa-Marie Taylor and Yagmur Uygarkizi interview authors Jeanne Sarson and Linda MacDonald about their best-selling book, Women Unsilenced Our Refusal To Let Torturer-Traffickers Win. This episode welcomes Jeanette Westbrook and Elizabeth Gordon, who both survived family and non-family-based non-State torture (NST) crimes, and join authors Jeanne a…

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#190 A Revindication of Middle-Aged Women with Victoria Smith, author of ‘HAGS’ 1:13:34

2+ y ago1:13:34

1:13:34

Feminist author Victoria Smith discusses her first book, ‘Hags’, about the demonisation of middle-aged women with FiLiA Spokeswoman Raquel Rosario Sánchez. Smith discusses the experiences which raised her awareness to the way middle-aged women are invisibilised and dismissed under patriarchy around the world, as well her understanding of the tropes…

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#189 Sex Trade Survivor's Fight to Shut Down an Escort Website 48:48

2+ y ago48:48

48:48

"We all understand what unwanted sex is; another word for that is rape. We all understand that, but when there's money involved, people suddenly don't seem to make that connection of what unwanted sex is bad for you. But if you're getting paid for it, then suddenly it's okay." When Mia Doring was in the sex trade, she convinced herself it was just …

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#188 Woman! Life! Freedom! The Women-led Revolution 1:02:34

3y ago1:02:34

1:02:34

Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born campaigner and writer living in the UK. Since the Islamic regime of Iran’s killing of Mahsa Amini on 16 September 2022 for ‘improper veiling,’ Maryam has been speaking on and organising protests in solidarity with the women’s revolution in Iran. FiLiA have joined Maryam launching the Hair4Freedom campaign and are c…

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#187 Julie Bindel and Jalna Hanmer: "Men need to be held accountable for violence against women" 35:33

3y ago35:33

35:33

Jalna Hanmer is a feminist of 70 years. She was responsible for bringing women's studies to UK academia and was a founder of the National Women's Aid Federation. Jalna talks with Julie Bindel about her life's work and the forthcoming exhibition at FiLiA 2023 on the renowned Brighton 1996 ‘International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Women's Citi…

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#186 The Sex Buyers' Secrets Revealed 1:15:26

3y ago1:15:26

1:15:26

"When you normalize paid rape in prostitution, it becomes confusing to an entire culture, even for [the] government, to define what consent is and what isn't, what rape is and what isn't. " In this episode, FiLiA Volunteer Luba Fein talks to Dr Melissa Farley and Dr Inge Kleine about the results of their latest research (also co-authored by Kerstin…

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#185 Parenting After Coercive Control - an American Perspective 50:10

3y ago50:10

50:10

Dr Christine Cocchiola talks to FiLiA Trustee Sally Jackson about the impact of coercive control on children and the Mother-Child relationship and how to heal together after abuse. Dr. Christine Marie Cocchiola, DSW, LCSW is a Coercive Control Advocate, Educator, Researcher & Survivor. She is a college professor teaching social work in the CT Colle…

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#184 Sex Robots and Woman Hating with Caitlin Roper 1:23:32

3y ago1:23:32

1:23:32

We are very pleased to share this interview by Raquel Rosario Sanchez with Caitlin Roper, author of “Sex Dolls, Robots and Woman Hating” which has just been published by Spinifex Press. “Sex Dolls, Robots and Woman Hating” exposes the inherent misogyny in the trade in sex dolls and robots modelled on the bodies of women and girls for men’s unlimite…

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#183 Coercive Control in Children's and Mothers' Lives with Emma Katz 2:02:31

3+ y ago2:02:31

2:02:31

Dr Emma Katz, a leading expert in coercive control and its impact on children is interviewed by FiLiA Trustee Sally Jackson. A must for anyone working in the field or who cares about someone it has affected, Emma describes what coercive control is like for Mothers and their children and importantly how the Mother/child relationship affects its impa…