Feminist podcasts in Egypt open new space for ideas | CPT PPP Coverage

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CAIRO, Egypt – Feminist-leaning podcasts are slowly beginning to gain ground in Egypt, adding new voices to the country’s public dialogue and a counter-narrative to its rigid patriarchal norms.

While the nature of the digital sphere makes the space difficult to track, Kim Fox at the American University in Cairo has studied these topics for years.

Fox, who has taught journalism and mass communication for over a decade and recently co-authored a study on four publicly available podcasts, noted that the topics covered can range from arranged marriages and dating to the daily life of a female street food vendor and the issue of independence.

“When you listen to the stories, there is no way you aren’t impacted,” Fox told Al-Monitor.

Her research also attempts to provide context as to when and how Egyptian women become aware of cultural and social inequalities and start to shape feminist ideals and identities.

“The biggest thing for me was looking at how intersectionality played into each of those podcasters: from choosing the topic to then developing the podcast,” Yasmeen Ebada, an instructor at AUC’s journalism department and co-author of the study, told Al-Monitor.

Writer and self-taught podcaster Bee Bishay has already produced over 20 episodes of about half an hour. In Being Aloud, Bishay has addressed multiple topics, such as self-care, divorce, and setting boundaries, as she shares her personal experience in order to build bridges of empathy and solidarity.

“We lack that in Egypt. Too many things are taboo and you don’t want to talk about them. I wanted to create a space for people to feel that they can be human,” she told Al-Monitor.

Another entry in the field is The Mother Being Podcast, produced by renowned doula Nour Emam, who addresses issues related to sexual and reproductive health.

In Mommy’s Happy Hour, entrepreneur and author Heba Shunbo has discussed, in English, equally touchy topics such as infertility, sex, the highs and lows of motherhood, being a single mother, and co-parenting.

Multimedia journalist Noran Morsi produces the podcast of the news website Egyptian Streets, which features women from different backgrounds – from music, cinema, and graphic design to trans activism.

“I was honestly surprised at the quality of content we were able to generate purely remotely. I think because the podcast was audio-only, and I spoke to my guests in a video chat, we were able to connect in a strong way that people heard,” Morsi told Al-Monitor.

Bishay, the producer of Being Aloud, said that she initially struggled to build an audience, but it has been growing. “When you [speak] honestly about something, people feel comfortable to do the same; and then we start talking and creating a space,” she said.