Equal Footing is a podcast that dives into the real stories, bold ideas, and practical solutions driving gender equality across the Global South. Hosted by Carren Mwanzia and Madhuri Mukherjee, each episode features conversations with leaders, experts, and changemakers working to close gender gaps in finance, entrepreneurship, health, and beyond. Whether you’re passionate about women’s economic empowerment, inclusive policy, or grassroots innovation, Equal Footing offers fresh perspectives and actionable insights on what’s working — and what still needs to change.
Equal Footing
Claim This Podcastby Usawa Collective
6 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇰🇪
Podcast Overview
Equal Footing is a podcast that dives into the real stories, bold ideas, and practical solutions driving gender equality across the Global South. Hosted by Carren Mwanzia and Madhuri Mukherjee, each episode features conversations with leaders, experts, and changemakers working to close gender gaps in finance, entrepreneurship, health, and beyond. Whether you’re passionate about women’s economic empowerment, inclusive policy, or grassroots innovation, Equal Footing offers fresh perspectives and actionable insights on what’s working — and what still needs to change.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
6/16/2025
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Recent Episodes
February 28, 2026
Equal Footing | Season 1 Reflections: Agency, Power & Change
<p>Season 1 of Equal Footing has been a journey through some of the most urgent and complex gender equality conversations across the Global South.Across five powerful episodes with Tolu, Dorcas, Lillian, Terry, and Sandra, we explored:</p><ul><li>Women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion</li><li>Disability inclusion and intersectionality in health systems</li><li>Sexual and reproductive health as bodily autonomy• How harmful norms are sustained — and how they shift</li></ul><p>The realities women face in sport and institutional leadershipIf there’s one thread that connects every conversation, it’s this<strong>: Gender equality is about power.</strong></p><ul><li>Power over resources.</li><li>Power over our bodies.</li><li>Power to challenge norms.</li><li>Power to lead within institutions</li></ul><p>In this final episode of the season, we reflect on what stayed with us, what challenged us, and what we’re carrying forward into Season 2. Because the women we spoke to are not waiting to be saved. They are already building, disrupting, and leading change.</p><p>👇 Join the conversation in the comments:What episode impacted you the most?What should we explore next season?</p><p>📩 Follow Usawa Collective for more conversations advancing gender equality across the Global South. </p><p>Reach out at usawacollective@gmail.com</p>
January 11, 2026
Equal Footing | Who Really Wins? Gender, Power & the Business of Sports in Africa
<p>In this episode, we sit down with <strong>Sandra Kimokoti,</strong> Founder and Board Member at Twende Sports, to unpack a hard but necessary conversation:</p><p>👉🏾 What does it mean to represent your country while earning less than a living wage?</p><p>👉🏾 And what happens when women push back against silence, exploitation, and broken sports systems?</p><p><strong>Here’s the reality:</strong></p><ul><li>Globally, women’s sports receive less than 10% of total sports media coverage (UNESCO)</li><li>Across Africa, women athletes are significantly underpaid and under-protected compared to their male counterparts</li><li>In Kenya, most professional athletes still lack stable contracts, health insurance, or timely pay</li></ul><p>These gaps reveal more than funding issues — <strong>they expose deeply gendered systems of power, access, and value</strong>.</p><p> In this episode, we explore:</p><ol><li>What it means to wear the national jersey while struggling to afford rent</li><li>Sexual harassment, silence, and the cost of speaking up in women’s sports</li><li>How body image, femininity, and strength collide for female athletes</li><li>Why access to safe, local sports infrastructure matters for girls’ confidence and leadership</li><li>How sports can build women leaders — on the field and in the boardroom</li></ol><p>🟣<strong> Equal Footing is a podcast by the Usawa Collective, </strong>spotlighting African voices reimagining what equity looks like in practice. </p><p>What insight stayed with you most? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Or contact us at usawacollective@gmail.com 👍 Like, 🔁 share, and 🛎️ subscribe for more conversations on approaches to addressing gender equality gaps. </p>
September 14, 2025
Equal Footing | The Double-Edged Role of Women in Sustaining and Dismantling Harmful Gender Norms
<p>At Equal Footing, we believe that change happens when we dive into the real stories and real solutions that are driving gender equality forward. In this episode, we sit down with Terry Maindo — a gender equality and social inclusion specialist — to confront a tough but overlooked question:👉🏾 What happens when women themselves uphold the very patriarchal norms that oppress them?👉🏾 And how do we break cycles of gatekeeping so women can build true agency and voice?📊 Here’s the reality:</p><ul><li>1 in 3 women worldwide experience gender-based violence in their lifetime (WHO).</li><li>In Kenya, FGM prevalence remains at 15% nationally — but is as high as 78% in some counties (UNICEF, 2023).</li><li>Despite women making up 50% of Kenya’s population, they hold just 23% of parliamentary seats (World Bank, 2024).</li></ul><p>These numbers tell a story: harmful social norms, often enforced by other women, continue to limit women’s leadership, safety, and opportunity.💡 In this episode, we explore:1. How women can be both victims and enforcers of patriarchy — from FGM to everyday gender roles2. Why intergenerational mentorship is key to breaking cycles of harmful norms3. How reflection sessions help women see the power dynamics that use them as tools of oppression4. Why trust-based, locally led funding enables real solutions instead of imposed onesThis episode challenges us to rethink agency — not as something given to women, but as something strengthened within women, passed from one generation to the next.🟣 Equal Footing is a podcast by the Usawa Collective, spotlighting African voices reimagining what equity looks like in practice.—💬 What insight stayed with you most? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Or contact us at usawacollective@gmail.com 👍 Like, 🔁 share, and 🛎️ subscribe for more conversations on approaches to addressing gender equality gaps.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/equalfootingpodcast">#EqualFootingPodcast</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/usawacollective">#UsawaCollective</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/genderequality">#GenderEquality</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/financialinclusion">#FinancialInclusion</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/feministleadership">#FeministLeadership</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/womensvoices">#WomensVoices</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/systemschange">#SystemsChange</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/africavoices">#AfricaVoices</a></p>
6 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Equal Footing?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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