On this very fine International Women’s Day, us Vocal Fries decided to do a roundup of our fave podcasts created, hosted, or produced by women!

There are so many men in podcasting, do yourself a favour and listen to some of our favourite picks.

Katie Jensen, Principal

Bossed Up. Host Emilie Aries interviews expert guests & answers call-in questions to help women problem-solve career conundrums & plan their next work move.

Great for anyone who never got mentorship from their actual workplace, who wants to learn how to work together better, or for anyone who loves career, advice, entrepreneurial, or relationship podcasts. Dear Abby, but for your work life, rather than your love life.

Of note: Emilie used to cohost ‎Stuff Mom Never Told You with Bridget Todd, which is where I discovered her.

Sabrina Brathwaite, Associate Producer

Love the All My Relations podcast, a podcast hosted by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) and Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation) to explore our relationships to land, to our creatural relatives, and to one another.

I tune into the show to expand my perspectives on life-ways while also learning about communities and experiences that I otherwise wouldn’t hear about in my day-to-day.

The hosts go together really well and I love that their intro sequence features laughter because it reminds me to seek out spaces that bring me joy.

Michal Stein, Producer

One of my absolute favourite podcasts is the now-retired Thirst Aid Kit, where hosts Bim Adewunmi and Nichole Perkins unpacked women's desire by examining Thirst Objects (tl;dr: famous hot men).

I loved the way that they framed desire as worthy of attention and analysis. They were thoughtful in how they approached their subjects so that it never felt like objectification.

Their interviews (Chris Evans, JASON MANTZOUKAS) were delightful. It wasn't just a show about hot men—it elegantly weaved in meaningful conversations about race and culture with female desire. This was a show that could reliably turn a bad mood around, and I miss it terribly. I'll always be grateful to Bim and Nichole for teaching us how to lust out loud!

Max Collins, Associate Producer

Too many to name, but I’ve been really enjoying Cancel Me, Daddy as of late.

It's a new podcast that looks into ‘cancel culture’ and the power dynamics that are truly at play between those who say they've been ‘cancelled’ and the communities asking those folks to do better.

Made by two cool, funny people in the queer/trans community.

Ellen Payne Smith, Senior Producer

My picks: 99 PI's According To Need, and We Are Not the Viru‪s‬.

These are two series about "housing" that had a big influence on how I feel about sheltering-in-place this year while listening to (and making) podcasts.

The first by 99PI (hosted and led by Katie Mingle) explores the system and services that are in place to support the unhoused in Oakland. It sets up "the system" as a central character in the present-day housing crisis, and in doing so It expands what I imagined a narrative-driven podcast could accomplish.

The second by Aliya Pabani and and Allie Graham is about life in Toronto's encampments. Listening to this series fundamentally changed how I view my own city!

Emily Latimer, Digital Producer

Of course I choose a therapy podcast. Therapists in the Wild is hosted by two doctoral candidates and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) therapists, Molly and Liza.

Each episode they teach a DBT skill that will help you increase mindfulness, better regulate emotions, tolerate distress, and enhance communication in relationships.

The whole thing about DBT is that it’s not readily accessible (and, like lots of forms of therapy, unaffordable.) That’s why this pod is so necessary.

I also love that one of the reasons they started this podcast was to increase access to resources.