The form of the podcast, in the popular imagination, has majorly been monopolised by cis heteronormative men, most of whom often inhabit an internet sub-group called the “manosphere“, a niche subculture involving the highly misogynistic Involuntary Celibates (incel) community who follow male influencers like Andrew Tate, Joe Rogan or Jordan Peterson. The cult of the “podcast bro” encompasses figures like the neoliberal hustler who normalises the capitalistic “grindset” to acquire “high value” and success as well as toxic “manfluencers” like Myron Gaines, Walter Weekes, the Tate brothers and Joe Rogan.
However, 2025 has been a year where podcast culture, globally, has decentred men with mics and focused on feminist and intersectional issues, with female, queer and marginalised podcasters taking up space and resisting a global crackdown on progressive thought and “end times fascism“, by reclaiming the very form of the podcast.
From in-depth discussions on caste, queerness, global politics, sexuality and masculinity to lighter conversations on everyday feminism, female self-discovery, popular media and culture, these 10 iconic podcasts brought intersectional feminist discourses into our playlists in 2025.
1. Women Uninterrupted by The Hindu
The Hindu‘s multi-generational podcast embodies what it means to be a woman in the world, today. In 2025, the podcast completed its 7th season and has featured eminent guests like Nishtha Satyam, diplomat, economist, and “unapologetic feminist”, and Seema Gupta, an advocate for women in business who runs a drone service centre for farmers, as well as platformed women working in grassroots organising and the informal sector. This season shines a spotlight on women in India’s informal economy and highlights their lived realities.
Hosted by Anna Thomas, the episodes are crisp, short and engrossing, often blending English with regional languages, which creates the feeling of raw authenticity while documenting stories from a diverse board of guests.
2. The Bechdel Cast hosted by Caitlin Durante and Jamie Loftus
How do we quantitatively understand if a film is feminist? The Bechdel Test, created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel asks the following questions to gauge how feminist a work of fiction is:
- Are there at least two women figures in the text who are named?
- Do these women talk to each other about something other than a man?
Running since 2016, this iconic podcast has dissected films like Babygirl, The Substance, Zoolander, Sinners, Twilight and Jaws in 2025.
Drawing from this popular test to decode women’s representation in media, comedians Caitlin Durante and Jamie Loftus’ weekly podcast discusses the portrayal of women in films with their guests. Running since 2016, this iconic podcast has dissected films like Babygirl, The Substance, Zoolander, Sinners, Twilight and Jaws in 2025. The podcast has also featured the creator of the Bechdel Test, Alison Bechdel, in May, 2025.
Hilarious, poignant and insightful, this podcast is a feminist exploration of cinema that all cinephiles will resonate with.
3. Between the Lines by the Institute of Development Studies
Hosted by the Institute of Development Studies, a research and learning organisation affiliated with the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, this monthly podcast series ‘explores ground-breaking ideas in development for positive social and environmental change.’ The podcast platforms guests who are experts in international development and each episode discusses their research and work, in order to explore the challenges and discoveries in development studies, focusing on issues that matter for progressive and sustainable development globally.
In 2025, the podcast featured scholars, researchers, professors, activists, politicians and policymakers who discussed a range of topics, including caste in academia, feminist solidarity, developmental economics and geopolitical diplomacy.
In 2025, the podcast featured scholars, researchers, professors, activists, politicians and policymakers who discussed a range of topics, including caste in academia, feminist solidarity, developmental economics and geopolitical diplomacy.
4. Chapter 2 by Rhea Chakraborty
Actress and MTV video jockey Rhea Chakraborty was a survivor of a brutal media witch hunt following the death by suicide of her partner, Sushant Singh Rajput, in 2020. From being publicly vilified as a practitioner of “black magic” to being falsely accused of abetting Rajput’s suicide, the 2020 media trial against Chakraborty laid bare the mainstream media’s rancid misogyny and lack of sensitivity. In 2025, the CBI issued a clean chit in her case, stating that since no evidence has been found to prove the allegations against her, she has been found innocent of all charges.
Chakraborty’s podcast is a testament to the unwavering strength of women in the face of abject hatred. Chakraborty is not only rebuilding her career but also rewriting her story in a nation that owes her a collective apology. Her podcast, aptly titled Chapter 2, is an ode to life’s second innings, featuring guests like Fatima Sana Shaikh, Jackson Wang and Vikrant Massey in 2025.
5. Lesbian Supper Club by Scarlett and Freya
The Lesbian Supper Club, hosted by sapphic couple Scarlett and Freya, is a popular podcast covering queer culture, feminism, sex, dating horror stories, and LGBTQ+ life with humour and heart. In 2025, the podcast episodes explored themes of queer platonic friendship, coming out, cultures of misogyny and compulsory heterosexuality.
If you enjoy funny, light-hearted and conversational podcasts which also comment critically on socio-cultural issues, Lesbian Supper Club is a podcast that will scratch your brain just right.
If you enjoy funny, light-hearted and conversational podcasts which also comment critically on socio-cultural issues, Lesbian Supper Club is a podcast that will scratch your brain just right. Not only is the podcast quirky and playful, but it is also instrumental in putting conversations on queer culture at the forefront.
6. Stuff Mom Never Told You by Anney Reese and Samantha McVey
Stuff Mom Never Told You is a podcast which explores diverse topics within science, history, and culture, through an intersectional feminist lens. Through feminist analyses and enquiries, podcast hosts Anney and Samantha attempt to ‘make sense of the everyday and unpack the stories that brought us to where we are today.’ The podcast clearly discusses the challenges and obstacles that women and people from marginalised communities experience globally and tries to come up with solutions and tools to empower marginalised folks.
In 2025, the podcast highlighted key feminist figures like LGBTQIA+ activist Zanele Muholi, indigenous activist Siku Allooloo, Sudanese activist Fahima Hashim, and the first Indian female photojournalist Homai Vyarawalla, among others. The podcast also discusses films centring queer-feminist and Black/Indigenous narratives as well as current affairs in politics and popular culture through the framework of intersectionality.
7. The Guilty Feminist by Deborah Frances-White
The Guilty Feminist is a long-running, award-winning feminist comedy podcast recorded as a live show by Deborah Frances-White.
The Guilty Feminist is a long-running, award-winning feminist comedy podcast recorded as a live show by Deborah Frances-White.
It was shortlisted for an Internet Award in the 2017 Chortle Awards and nominated for Best Podcast in the 2017 Audio & Radio Industry Awards.
On the podcast, comedian Deborah Frances-White features guests on a panel to discuss topics related to gender justice and feminism. There is a certain authenticity to the podcast as it is recorded in front of a live audience, capturing the resultant spontaneity. The Guilty Feminist is hilariously self-reflexive, featuring guests who have honest conversations about their journeys as modern-day feminists, marked by constant negotiations and insecurities that shape the feminist experience in the 21st century.
In 2025, the podcast featured guests like actor David Tennant, cartoonist Alison Bechdel, economist Corinne Low and anthropologist Professor Dame Henrietta Moore. This year the podcast also started a new episode series titled “The Road to Gilead”, which explores the global rise of far-right Christian nationalism and authoritarianism in recent times and discusses ways to fight for social justice and safeguard human rights. The series title takes inspiration from Margaret Atwood’s seminal feminist text The Handmaid’s Tale which is set in the dystopic Republic of Gilead.
8. Moment of Silence by Sakshi Shivdasani and Naina Bhan
Undoubtedly a fan favourite among young Indians, MOS breaks and redefines all the negative connotations surrounding influencer podcasts and how! Sakshi and Naina complement each other’s energy beautifully and keep listeners engaged and entertained in this podcast, which explores contemporary cultures in India, focusing on women’s experiences of misogyny, social media, toxic diet culture, relationships, female friendships and cultural appropriation.
Undoubtedly a fan favourite among young Indians, MOS breaks and redefines all the negative connotations surrounding influencer podcasts and how!
The podcast also featured guests like comedians like Kenny Sebastian and Sumukhi Suresh, influencers like Apoorva Mukhija and Komal Pandey, and actors like Imran Khan and Tamannah Bhatia, among others, in 2025.
Sakshi Shivdasani and Naina Bhan present quintessentially Indian realities and experiences in a series of hilarious episodes which also feature feminist takes and commentary on contemporary issues.
9. The Faye D’Souza Show
Prominent Indian journalist Faye D’Souza hosts a podcast in the form of a talk show on her YouTube channel. While Faye likes to call it an “anti-podcast”, the series examines the concept of failure and discusses how people show up with resilience and rise above it. The podcast is deeply personal, featuring a plethora of prominent guests from the film, business, legal and developmental world, including Ratna Pathak Shah, Guneet Monga, Madhuri Dixit and Ekta Kapoor.
The discussions are profound, nuanced and aware, and Faye is a splendid interviewer as well, thanks to her experience as a journalist. This show is exclusively available on Faye D’Souza’s YouTube channel and not Spotify.
10. STEMPowered
Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Wadhwani AI, this podcast centres on women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and how tech and AI affect women. STEMPowered is a series of podcasts documenting the journeys, ideas, and impact of Indian women in STEM and AI. Through candid and in-depth conversations with trailblazers across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including Anaita Singh and Dr Sneha Nikam in 2025, this podcast explores the contributions, challenges, and the groundbreaking work of women in shaping the future. ‘From ethical AI to inclusive innovation, each episode dives deep into how these women are redefining what leadership and progress look like in STEM.’
In an age marked by unprecedented socio-political crises which are gendered and affect marginalised communities globally, feminist conversations and intersectional storytelling become crucial in building strong counter-narratives, mobilising activism and forming resilient communities. Podcasts that address and engage with our society through an intersectional feminist lens are building global solidarity, one episode at a time.
All the podcasts mentioned, except The Faye D’Souza Show, are available to stream on Spotify.
This is by no means an exhaustive or representative list. Suggestions to add to this listicle are welcome in the comments section.
About the author(s)
Ananya Ray has completed her Masters in English from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India. A published poet, intersectional activist and academic author, she has a keen interest in gender, politics and Postcolonialism.
