12 Podcasts That Celebrate Badass Women

This history-centric podcast will completely change the way you've seen women throughout time. Every day, you're treated to a pint-size biography of a woman who has shaped history. These stories go even further beyond the already-kickass realms of Maya Angelou, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Sojourner Truth to highlight women you've probably never heard of.

Listen to Encyclopedia Womannica now.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, tops the tone and banter on Call Your Girlfriend. Best-friend duo Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow link up each week to discuss the hottest news in pop culture and politics to make sure you get your dose of current events with a big side of comedic relief. From fighting for Indigenous rights to a new age of consent in the COVID era, CYG covers it all and then some.

Listen to Call Your Girlfriend now.

Hosted by Les, the Balanced Black Girl herself, this podcast is focused on fitness — both mental and physical. Self-love, spiritual evolution, and nourishing your body and soul are a few of the topics Les unpacks with fellow Black professional women in the health industry.

Listen to Balanced Black Girl now.

Hosted by Deborah Frances-White, The Guilty Feminist is a forum for the "big topics all 21st century feminists agree on." From hard-hitting subjects like intersectional feminism and equality for transwomen to wellness and inner joy, Frances-White offers a whole host of topics to remind you of just how incredible women really are.

Listen to The Guilty Feminist now.

BBC's Woman's Hour segment is your go-to for all things that shape our past, present, and future reality. By highlighting women's voices, Woman's Hour seeks to inspire, challenge, and inform listeners all around the globe. Like: What's the scoop on sex workers on lockdown in Amsterdam? And how does the future of space travel look for women?

Listen to Woman's Hour now.

The Professional Home Girl pod is all about empowering women of color to live to the absolute fullest, be it professionally, romantically, or personally. In each episode, host Eboné interviews an anonymous woman of color. She could be a top-notch scientist, a mom, a fire chief, an escort, you name it. But the bottom line is, Eboné aims to share the diverse lives of her guests and, in turn, shed a light on taboo topics and the lives women of color lead.

Listen to The PHG Podcast now.

We've all had a moment that left us scratching our heads wondering how on earth we've made it this far in life without knowing something. Well, Stuff Mom Never Told You puts you in the know. Hosts Anney and Samantha explore topics like why some women are drawn to killers, why the "crazy girl" trope is even a thing, and how the witch trials were more about targeting and murdering vulnerable women and less about any sort of threat.

Listen to Stuff Mom Never Told You now.

Aptly coined as the podcast for fat positivity and radical self-love, it's hard not to fall hard and fast for She's All Fat. Hosted by "your fat faves" April Korto Quioh and Sophia Carter-Kahn, She's All Fat is your much-needed entertainment on all things related to our bodies and why on earth we feel the need to critique them so much.

Listen to She's All Fat now.

Looking to make a little extracurricular cash? You'll get plenty of inspiration from "Chief Side Hustler turned full-time entrepreneur" Nicaila Matthews Okome, who has gone from hosting her pod on the side to becoming a full-time entrepreneur. Over the course of 240-plus episodes, Okome has had scores of Black women on her platform to discuss their successes and learnings.

Listen to Side Hustle Pro now.

Hosted by Krista Tippett, American journalist extraordinaire and recipient of the 2014 National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama, a host of this caliber warrants a listen by itself. On Being is a podcast all about the deeper meaning of life and the big questions, like why are we here? And what's love, anyway? Get started with her episode where she interviews Jane Goodall to get to the nitty gritty on what it means to be human.

Listen to On Being now.

The recently released season of the iconic brand's podcast, Dior Talks: Feminism highlights the women artists, athletes, and actresses who have inspired Maria Grazia Chiuri. It explores creativity, passion, and talent across different genres and the guest's connection to the famous fashion house. It provides rare insight into the brand's inspiration and creative influences.

Listen to Dior Talks: Feminism now.

This would not be a complete inventory of podcasts that celebrate badass women without a nod to THE woman of the 21st century. On her self-titled podcast, the former first lady highlights the things that define us. From chats about marriage with Conan O'Brien to intimate talks with her family about growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Michelle dives deep. It's unclear when and if a second season will be released, but the first season certainly is worth a binge.

Listen to The Michelle Obama Podcast now.