The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO)

Latest Episodes:

Unlikely Allies Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

In the fight to end gender-based violence, there’s a stark fact that’s hard to shy away from. Put simply, the majority of GBV perpetrators are men and boys, accounting for more than 90% in most estimates.

On today’s episode, we hear from a variety of perspectives about how to work with men and boys to end GBV. Host Reena Ninan speaks with Gary Barker, Founder, CEO, and President of Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice. Barker has worked in dozens of countries over the course of three decades. His organization has also conducted decades of research on men and boys' attitudes toward gender equality, including gender-based violence.

Senior producer Laura Rosbrow-Telem also talks to Laxman Belbase, Co-Director of MenEngage, a global alliance of more than 1,000 groups from some 90 countries. They are creating a shared vision for how to work with men and boys for gender equality.

Plus, reporter Ebere Ekeopara covers women recently elected to local traditional councils in Southeastern Nigeria – a phenomenon that began just a few years ago. She speaks with Faithful Ani, a new member of the traditional council in Umuode, Nigeria, John Onovo, chief of the Umuode council, as well as Blessing Uchendu, the head of gender programming at the South Saharan Development Organization, a nonprofit leading local advocacy on GBV.

The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation.

Guests Interviewed:

Gary Barker, Founder, CEO, and President of Equimundo
Laxman Belbase, Co-Director of MenEngage
Blessing Uchendu, South Saharan Development Organization
Faithful Ani, Member of Umuode Council
John Onovo, Chief of Umuode Council
Nnenna Anozie, Human Rights Lawyer

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How to Prevent Gender-Based Violence Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

What works to prevent gender-based violence from occurring in the first place? In this episode, reporter Leah Kahunde Ndung’u profiles a leading community-based prevention model called SASA! from the nonprofit Raising Voices in Kampala, Uganda. She also examines the Ugandan government’s newly launched national policy to prevent gender-based violence.

Then, host Reena Ninan speaks with Avni Aminfrom the WHO. She is one of the chief architects of the World Health Organization’s “RESPECT” framework, a global blueprint for policymakers on best practices for preventing gender-based violence. Amin is head of the Rights, Equality and Wellbeing throughout the Life Course Unit, which is part of WHO’s Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research.

The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation.

Guests Interviewed:

Avni Amin, WHO Unit Head, Rights, Equality and Wellbeing throughout the Life Course
Yvette Alal, Technical advisor at Raising Voices
Zainab Kyotungire, SASA activist
Jacinta and Solomon, couple with whom Zainab works
Lillian Magezi, gender specialist and researcher formerly affiliated with Uganda Christian University
Natsnet Ghebrebrhan, Co-Director of Raising Voices

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The Economics of Safety Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

In the media, gender-based violence is often considered a sexism or cultural problem. But what if it were viewed as an economic issue?

In the newest season of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we talk to thought leaders around the world about what works to reduce gender-based violence.

GBV not only affects nearly 1 in 3 women in their lifetime; It is also a huge drain on the economy. UN Women estimates that GBV costs countries about $1.5 trillion per year, or approximately 2% of global GDP. But greater financial security and autonomy can help protect women from violence.

We begin with a conversation between host Reena Ninan and Sonya Passi, founder and CEO of FreeFrom, a U.S. nonprofit working to end gender-based violence. Passi believes the main challenge for survivors is economic insecurity. Because of this, her organization focuses on directly empowering survivors economically.

Then, reporter Elna Schütz travels to a very special clothing store from Mosaic Training Service and Healing Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation.

Guests Interviewed:

Sonya Passi, Founder and CEO of FreeFrom
Tarisai Mchuchu-MacMillan, Executive Director of Mosaic Training Service and Healing Centre
Rozita, Mosaic Clothing Store Worker
Dr. Deidre Pretorius, family medicine expert from the University of the Witwatersrand
Nonnie, Mosaic Clothing Store Worker

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Coming Soon: What Could End Gender-Based Violence? Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Gender-based violence affects nearly 1 in 3 women in their lifetime.

Beyond the trauma it causes, it is also a huge drain on the economy. UN Women estimates that GBV costs countries about $1.5 trillion per year, or approximately 2% of global GDP.

But greater financial security and autonomy can help protect women from violence.

In season 10 of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we examine what it would take to end gender-based violence. Host Reena Ninan and reporters around the world talk to changemakers and thought leaders about the most effective strategies for reducing GBV, including economic security, prevention programs, engaging allies, and curbing online harassment.

The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by the Ford Foundation.

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The Amazon and the Supply Chain Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

The Amazon is the world's biggest tropical rainforest, spanning across nine countries in South America. It is a major source of biodiversity and plant life, containing around one tenth of the world’s known species and over a billion acres of dense forest.

But for decades now, this vital resource has been under threat. Nearly 20 percent of the Amazon forest has been lost or degraded. This is largely due to deforestation, where people cut down trees and clear land for other, oftentimes more profitable purposes.

A significant aspect of reducing deforestation is making it financially viable to keep the forest. But how?

In our season finale of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we focus on efforts to make supply chains more sustainable: from the source to the end product. We start in the Amazon, where we look at ways to profit from the rainforest without destroying it. And we end up in the boardroom to hear from the president of the outdoor apparel brand Patagonia.

First, we hear from Maria Jose “Chochi” Iturralde, executive director of the nonprofit Fundacion Pachaysana. She helped launch Fundacion Pachaysana, based in Ecuador, to provide financial incentives for local people in the Amazon to preserve their forest and their land, such as through regenerative agriculture. This is part of a new economic model called “the bioeconomy,” which uses renewable biological resources, processes, and innovations to produce food, materials, and energy.

Then, we hear from leaders at Natura, a global beauty company that sources many of their products from the Amazon rainforest. We speak with Charmian Love, global ambassador at Natura, and Fernanda Rezende Facchini, Natura’s senior sustainability and procurement leader in Latin America, about their bioeconomy work in the Amazon.

Finally, host Zainab Salbi sits down with Jenna Johnson, President of Patagonia. The California-based outdoor apparel brand was founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard, a rock climber and adventurer who cares deeply about the environment. Patagonia’s mission has always been to “save our home planet.” Their current president Jenna Johnson shares how fulfilling that mission means meticulously scrutinizing every step of their supply chain.

The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by Daughters for Earth.

Guests interviewed:

Jenna Johnson, President of Patagonia
Maria Jose “Chochi” Iturralde, Executive Director of Fundacion Pachaysana
Charmian Love, Global Ambassador at Natura
Fernanda Rezende Facchini, Senior Sustainability and Procurement Specialist at Natura in Latin America

Recommended reading:

Foreign Policy Analytics: Protecting Biodiversity and Driving Development Through Women’s Leadership

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Lake Uru Uru and the Potential of Nature-Based Solutions Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

Nature-based solutions decrease the effects of climate change by using nature to help nature. Mangrove forests helping to preserve shorelines or planting cover crops to rejuvenate the soil are strong examples. According to research from the Nature Conservancy, nature-based solutions can provide up to 37 percent of the carbon emissions reductions needed by 2030.

In this episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we focus on nature-based solutions’ enormous environmental potential. First, we head to Bolivia, where a small, indigenous group of women is making a big splash. Host Zainab Salbi speaks with Dayana Blanco Quiroga, who co-founded the Uru Uru Team. It is a grassroots initiative dedicated to restoring Lake Uru Uru, which has been heavily degraded from nearby mining and pollution. The Uru Uru Team is just one example of women’s leadership in transforming water security, as Foreign Policy research notes.

Then, we talk to two investors in nature-based solutions about how they approach this work financially, which can be challenging. First, we hear from Nela Duke Ekpenyong, founding partner at Obudu Capital, a venture capital firm investing in climate tech, energy, and sustainability across Sub-Saharan Africa. And then, we talk to Alexa Firmenich, who founded an ecocentric investment firm called Naia Trust, based in Switzerland. She also hosts a podcast called Lifeworlds.

The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported this season by Daughters for Earth.

Guests interviewed: