In this episode of The Love Series, host Tinatswe Mhaka sits with Chi to explore a story of love, loss of self, and survival. Chi takes us through what it meant to fall quickly and deeply — to love someone she couldn’t fully recognise until it was too late. From saying yes to love, to marriage, to motherhood — and then slowly waking up to a version of herself that was no longer whole. This is a conversation about learning the difference between infatuation and care, navigating emotional manipulation and narcissism, and eventually choosing to leave — gently, powerfully, and for herself. It’s a soft, honest reflection on memory, clarity, and coming home to yourself after loving someone who couldn’t love you back without harm. Listen now to Chi’s Story: Prefrontal Lobe Love, Infatuation & Narcissist Survival — part of our Love Series.Available on all streaming platforms. 🎧 https://shorturl.at/YKCZSInstagram: @thefeministbarpodcastTwitter/X: @thefeministbarSupport: https://www.patreon.com/thefeministbarpodcast 

In this episode, host Tinatswe Mhaka sits with Dorothy, a queer Zimbabwean woman, to talk about what it means to love deeply in a world that makes no room for that love. Dorothy shares her story of finding intimacy, connection, and care with someone whose family could not accept the relationship because of her sexuality. This conversation explores what it feels like to be loved, but not welcomed. What it means to lose a relationship because of homophobia and family pressure. And how we carry love after it ends — not as something broken, but as something we can still honour and learn from. Together, Tinatswe and Dorothy reflect on grief, longing, survival, and the quiet power of choosing to live openly in the aftermath of loss. Listen and follow us wherever you get your podcasts. Instagram Twitter/X Patreon

In this episode of The Feminist Bar: Love Series, we’re joined by storyteller and creative Shantae, who takes us through a love story that came back around — and didn’t end the way she hoped. It’s a tender, honest reflection on trying again, believing again, and the courage it takes to walk away (again), even when you wanted it to work. Shantae opens up about:    •    Why she chose to give love a second chance    •    What felt different — and what didn’t    •    The discomfort of hope meeting disappointment    •    The moment she knew it was time to let go    •    What she’s learned about patterns, expectations, and her own heart This isn’t a story about a “failed” relationship — it’s about what it means to honour your intuition, to love deeply while staying rooted in self-worth, and to carry softness forward even when it hurts. If you’ve ever gone back, tried again, or stayed too long — this one’s for you.

🌀 Episode: Coming Home to Yourself A Meditation for Presence, Self-Love & Deep Acceptance A soft return to your own presence. This meditation invites you into deep acceptance, gentle breath, and the quiet knowing that who you are is already enough. Listen when: You feel scattered, hard on yourself, or in need of a gentle reset. Integration exercise: Place one hand on your heart. Whisper something kind to yourself — and let it land. You can also download the journal prompts to deepen your reflection after listening. 🎧 Listen to more meditations : https://www.youtube.com/@feministvoiceszimbabwe 📘 Explore the Safety and Wellness Guides: https://feministvoiceszimbabwe.com/resources/ 📝 Access the journal prompts: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14zyGTejPf_LbfTuZ7SNsJW7Qb2RJUEUu/view?usp=drive_link About the SAFE Project This meditation is part of the SAFE Project (Safety, Access, Freedom, and Empowerment) by Feminist Voices Zimbabwe, created to support the safety and wellness of queer Zimbabweans. Built from real community stories, the project includes free, downloadable Safety and Wellness Guides covering personal safety, mental health, SRHR, coming out, domestic violence, and more — all rooted in care, survival, and resistance. This project was made possible with support from Purposeful. Facilitated by: Nkazi Khumalo — queer space holder, facilitator, and healing justice practitioner — whose gentle voice and presence offer warmth and safety in every session. I’m Nkazie — a non-binary psychospiritual coach, intuitive translator, and sacred space facilitator devoted to healing, embodiment, and liberation. My work lives at the intersection of emotional alchemy, nervous system regulation, and a deep soul remembrance. I guide you back to the wisdom of your body, the clarity of your intuition, and the truth that you are already whole. 🔗 Book services with Nkazie: https://nkazie.setmore.com/ 🎵 Music Credit: Soundtrack by Nowonderwhoo — thank you for the beautiful sounds that hold us. 📲 Follow Feminist Voices Zimbabwe: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter — @feministvoiceszw 🌐 Website — www.feministvoiceszimbabwe.com

🌀 Episode: Feel to Flow Emotional Presence & Somatic Release Let it move through you. This meditation offers a safe space to feel your emotions and release what’s ready to go — with breath, sound, and presence. Listen when: You feel emotionally full, blocked, or ready to let go. Integration exercise: Journal honestly: “What am I really feeling right now?” Then, let your breath carry the truth. For further processing, download the Feel to Flow journaling prompts. 🎧 Watch on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@feministvoiceszimbabwe 📘 Explore our Safety and Wellness resources: https://feministvoiceszimbabwe.com/resources/  About the SAFE Project Journal Prompts : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1li6tY2mLlHhR74dj05zt5hIfqc5x4YEs/view?usp=sharing The SAFE Project by Feminist Voices Zimbabwe offers care and protection for queer Zimbabweans through affirming safety guides, meditations, and creative wellness tools. This meditation series is made possible through generous support from Purposeful. Facilitated by: Nkazi Khumalo — non-binary healing practitioner, intuitive coach, and space-holder committed to the emotional, spiritual, and embodied freedom of queer people. 🔗 Book services with Nkazie https://nkazie.setmore.com/ 🎵 Music Credit: Nowonderwhoo 📲 Follow: @feministvoiceszw  🌐 Visit: www.feministvoiceszimbabwe.com 

In this episode of The Feminist Bar, host Tinatswe Mhaka is joined by researcher and queer feminist Makanaka Tuwe for a rich conversation on belonging, home, and identity from an African feminist lens. What does it mean to belong when you’re far from home? Together, Tinatswe and Makanaka unpack the complex emotional and political geographies of belonging—exploring how land, language, ancestry, and migration shape how we define home. The episode reflects on navigating the diaspora as queer African feminists, grappling with distance and the longing for roots, while also embracing chosen homes for safety, freedom, and opportunity. From ritual and food to storytelling and digital activism, they speak to the practices that help us stay connected to our ancestors, communities, and selves across borders. This is a conversation about holding multiple identities at once, critiquing home while still loving it, and building new definitions of where and how we belong. Follow The Feminist Bar:Instagram: @thefeministbarpodcastTwitter/X: @thefeministbarSupport us on Patreon: The Feminist Bar Podcast

In this episode of The Feminist Bar, host Tinatswe Mhaka is joined by Gloria Chikaonda to explore what it means to create feminist art, content, and education in a digital age that often feels like it’s turning against us. As social media expands access to storytelling and political discourse, it also becomes a battleground—where feminist creators face algorithmic suppression, coordinated harassment, and pushback from anti-woke, red pill, and reactionary movements. Together, Tinatswe and Gloria unpack the paradox of digital platforms: increased visibility comes with increased vulnerability. They reflect on how parasocial dynamics, virality, ego, and burnout shape the work—and what strategies can help feminist creators resist co-optation, censorship, and fatigue. From alternative platforms and digital security to community-led learning and archiving, this episode is a call to imagine new ways of creating and resisting in the face of a growing digital backlash. Follow The Feminist Bar:Instagram: @thefeministbarpodcastTwitter/X: @thefeministbarSupport us on Patreon: The Feminist Bar Podcast

In this solo episode of The Feminist Bar, host Tinatswe Mhaka steps behind the mic for a reflective check-in. She shares thoughts on the current season of the podcast, the state of the development and NGO space, and the emotional weight of doing feminist work in spaces that are often extractive, underfunded, and contradictory. Tinatswe also offers some self-care strategies that are helping her navigate burnout and disillusionment, and shares a personal review of The Right to Sex by Amia Srinivasan—unpacking what resonated, what challenged her, and how the book speaks to contemporary feminist discourse on desire, access, and autonomy. It’s a quiet, personal, and grounding episode for anyone needing a moment to pause, process, and realign. Follow The Feminist Bar:Instagram: @thefeministbarpodcastTwitter/X: @thefeministbarSupport on Patreon: The Feminist Bar Podcast Follow The Feminist Bar Resistance Journal : https://tinatswe.substack.com/ 

In this episode of The Feminist Bar, host Tinatswe Mhaka and guest Michelle Mudawarima explore how society frames our understanding of money and how those narratives shape our personal relationships with spending, saving, and survival. The conversation dives into what it means to live within our means, how systemic barriers impact financial literacy, and how we can rethink financial empowerment through personal journeys, transformation, and collective care.They unpack the myths around money, the realities of navigating financial responsibility under capitalism, and how to build healthier, values-aligned relationships with money without shame or elitism. Tune in for a reflective, practical conversation about transforming how we approach financial literacy, survival, and abundance in a world that was never built with us in mind. Follow The Feminist Bar:Instagram: @thefeministbarpodcastTwitter/X: @thefeministbarSupport on Patreon: The Feminist Bar Podcast

In this episode of The Feminist Bar, host Tinatswe Mhaka is joined by Dumi Gatsha for a powerful conversation on what solidarity really means in the midst of increasing political violence, burnout, and donor fatigue. Together, they explore how movements can resist division and co-optation while navigating scarcity, repression, and the emotional toll of doing this work. Dumi brings lived experience and political insight to a timely conversation on the contradictions of being praised but unsupported, the ways funding politics shape access and visibility, and how competition can fracture movements meant to thrive through collaboration. What does it take to build lasting solidarity under fire? What happens when survival requires performance? And can movements still resist without losing their edge? This episode holds space for hard truths about activism, while also imagining funding and solidarity models that are honest, inclusive, and sustainable. Follow the podcast on social media:Instagram: @thefeministbarpodcastTwitter/X: @thefeministbarSupport on Patreon: The Feminist Bar Podcast

Hi everyone :)  Welcome to Behind the Bar, a personal segment to share and discuss what has been going on with the pod and behind the scenes. Episodes will be back next week, and here is some of what's been on my mind. Let's get into the second half of the season with a bang.

In this episode of The Feminist Bar, host Tinatswe Mhaka is joined by Bella Matambanadzo, a Zimbabwean feminist, writer, and movement builder. Bella shares her personal journey, reflecting on the history of feminist organizing in Zimbabwe and the power of storytelling as a tool for activism. From her early experiences in media and advocacy to her role in shaping regional feminist spaces, she offers deep insights into feminist life-building, movement sustainability, and the ways storytelling connects generations of activists. The conversation explores the challenges and victories of the Zimbabwean feminist movement, the importance of documenting feminist histories, and the transformative potential of narratives in resisting oppression and imagining new futures. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Nawi – Macroeconomics 101 The Charter of Feminist Principles for African Feminists Support & Stay Connected Follow The Feminist Bar on Instagram and TwitterSupport the podcast on Patreon.

In this episode of The Feminist Bar, Tinatswe Mhaka and Sandra Mpanyira discuss the transformation of activism in the digital age. They explore how social media has enabled rapid mobilization and amplified marginalized voices, citing movements like the #BlackLivesMatter, and the Zimbabwe protests in 2018. However, they also address the pitfalls of performative activism, including superficial engagement and the spread of misinformation, as seen with #BlackoutTuesday and COVID-19 conspiracy theories. The conversation shifts to influencer culture, highlighting the positive role influencers play in raising awareness while acknowledging the risks of oversimplifying complex issues. Tinatswe and Sandra also discuss how to foster nuanced, in-depth conversations online and the importance of balancing speed with substance. Finally, they offer strategies for leveraging social media for effective activism, stressing the need for leaders on the ground and turning online energy into offline action. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own social media activism and engage intentionally. Stay connected through Twitter at @thefeministbar, Instagram at @thefeministbarpodcast, and support the podcast on Patreon at The Feminist Bar Podcast. Thanks for tuning in!

Host Tinatswe Mhaka is joined by Chido Musamirapamwe Siame and Melusi Dhlamini to discuss the evolving field of sexual pleasure medicine. Together, they unpack how this area of medicine is defined and approached, exploring its impact on personal lives, relationships, and broader societal narratives about intimacy and the body. This insightful conversation challenges stigma and highlights the importance of understanding sexual pleasure through a medical and feminist lens. 💜 Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thefeministbarpodcast🐦 Stay connected on Twitter: @thefeministbar✨ Support and join the community on Patreon: The Feminist Bar Podcast Tune in to learn, unlearn, and rethink pleasure!

It’s our 100th episode, and what a journey it’s been! Thank you for tuning in, showing up, and being part of this growing community of feminists, thinkers, and changemakers. This isn’t just a celebration of the podcast—it’s a celebration of all of you who’ve made it possible. In this quick 2025 update, I’m sharing some thoughts on where we’ve been, what’s coming next, and why you should come on the podcast this year! Let’s discourse, chat, and make 2025 the year of even deeper, richer, and louder conversations. 💜 Be sure to follow us on Instagram: @thefeministbarpodcast.

In this episode, host Tinatswe Mhaka sits down with Zimbabwean author Chido Muchemwa to explore stories of home, family, and belonging. They dive into the complexities of why we leave home and why we stay, reflecting on the emotional experiences of being the one who leaves—or is left behind. Through the lens of Chido’s recently published collection Who Will Bury You and Other Stories, they examine these themes in their own lives and the lives of those around them. Chido Muchemwa is a Zimbabwean writer based in Canada and the author of Who Will Bury You and Other Stories. A 2022 recipient of the Morland African Writing Scholarship, her work has appeared in The Baltimore Review, Canthius, and Humber Literary Review. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, where her research explored queer histories and narratives in Zimbabwe. Follow Chido Muchemwa: Website: www.chidomuchemwa.com Twitter: @chidomuchemwa Instagram: @chidomuchemwa Follow The Feminist Bar: Instagram: @TheFeministBarPodcast Twitter: @TheFeministBar  

In this episode, we’re diving into the rise of red pill content and its impact on our lives. We explore what red pill content is, how online misogyny has evolved over the years, and the way it intersects with patriarchy, feminism, and violence. We also discuss how these dynamics play out in online spaces and what it means to navigate them as activists, feminists, and queer individuals. Join us for this critical conversation on resisting misogyny and reclaiming digital spaces. If you would like to follow or support the podcast you can follow on:  Twitter: @TheFeministBar Instagram: @Thefeministbarpodcast Support Us on Patreon: The Feminist Bar

In this episode of The Feminist Bar Podcast, host Tinatswe Mhaka welcomes Thandi Gula-Ndebele to dive deep into the concept of shadow work. Together, they explore how confronting our childhood wounds and generational trauma can help us cultivate healthier relationships, both with ourselves and others. They discuss the importance of working on our inner self, healing from past pain, and breaking cycles passed down through parental relationships. For anyone curious about starting their own journey of shadow work, this episode offers guidance on the "how" and "why" of this transformative process. For more on Thandi’s work: @phola.herbal on InstagramLearn more about shadow work: Conni’s blog on shadow workTry a shadow work journal: Download here Follow us on Instagram: @thefeministbarpodcastSupport us on Patreon: The Feminist Bar

Let's talk about what is happening behind the scenes of the feminist bar, the host and many other things that could have been a diary entry. 

In this episode of The Feminist Bar Podcast, Tinatswe Mhaka sits down with guests from diverse spiritual backgrounds—an atheist, and an agnostic—to have an honest and engaging conversation about religion, deconstruction, and the journey toward self-discovery. They each share their personal experiences with religion and spirituality, exploring how these beliefs (or lack thereof) have shaped their understanding of self, relationships, and community. From navigating religious expectations to redefining spirituality in a more inclusive and open way, the discussion unpacks the beauty, challenges, and nuances of finding one's own path. Tune in to hear how each speaker's unique perspective adds depth to this rich conversation on faith, doubt, and connection. Support the podcast here. Follow us on Instagram. Follow us on Twitter.