This week, we’re bringing you an episode of What Could Go Right from our friends at The Progress Network. Each Wednesday on What Could Go Right, hosts Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas converse with diverse experts to have sharp, honest conversations about what’s going on in the world, even during difficult times. In this episode, they dive into the global health crisis that doesn’t get nearly enough attention - tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world, yet it has been largely ignored by wealthy nations and Big Pharma. One person who refuses to let that stand is #1 New York Times bestselling author, YouTuber, and activist John Green. His new book, Everything is Tuberculosis, explores the history, science, and injustices surrounding this disease.  Tune in to new episodes of What Could Go Right every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t miss the Friday episodes where Emma and Zachary highlight the latest progress from around the globe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re sharing another show you might like. Cramped is a podcast created and hosted by Kate Downey, “because having a microphone gets you more answers than having a uterus.” In this episode, Kate talks to her mom about joining the Boston Women's Health Movement in the 1970s. Why was body literacy such a big part of feminism in the 70s, but when Kate became an active feminist in Boston in the 2000s, she didn't get information about body literacy? To learn more, Kate talks to Laura Prieto, program director of Our Bodies, Ourselves. Listen to more episodes of Cramped here: https://www.katehelendowney.com/cramped Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the show is on hiatus, we want to share a few podcasts on the HERO feed that we think you might like. We will release these episodes over the next month.  This first one is from a podcast called The Most Important Question from the Important, Not Important team. When HERO first launched, Important, Not Important featured one of our early episodes. It’s a good show, and we’ve been happy to remain in touch over the years. This episode fits in well with our recent season. It’s an interview with Dr. Ticora V. Jones, who served as the chief scientist for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). She’s currently the chief science officer at the NRDC.  ----------- Have feedback or questions about the episode? Tweet at the show, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com. Want more? Get started with fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First, we need to share some news. This may be our last episode. We are so grateful to the funding we have received for this podcast over the past four years. But our largest grant is ending soon. So for now, we are saying goodbye. We truly hope to be back in your feed someday. To commemorate HERO, we are doing one last “follow-up” episode. This was an idea from you, our listeners. You suggested talking to past interviewees and seeing what they are doing now. For today’s show, we’re doing a “reporters’ roundtable” where we look back and look ahead at some of our most impactful stories of the past eight seasons. Host Reena Ninan talks to Kenya-based reporters Sharon Kiburi and Eunice Maina as well as South-Africa based journalist Elna Schutz. If you are new to the show, you may want to go back and listen to the stories that Kiburi, Maina, and Schutz talk about on this episode: What Works in Defeating Workplace Sexual Harassment (Sharon Kiburi) How Men Are Trying to End Gender-Based Violence in South Africa (Elna Schutz) The Hidden Economics of Female Genital Mutilation (Eunice Maina) The Economics of Period Poverty (Elna Schutz) Fighting for LGBTQ Rights in Kenya (Eunice Maina) What the Debt Crisis in Kenya Reveals About International Lending (Sharon Kiburi) In the meantime, please stay in touch. You can email us at podcasts@foreignpolicy.com or contact our senior producer Laura Rosbrow-Telem at laura.rosbrow-telem@foreignpolicy.com. We hope to be back soon. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part by the Gates Foundation and Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The idea for today’s show came from you: our listeners. Many of you wanted to hear follow-up stories. You suggested talking to past interviewees and seeing what they are doing now. In particular, you were curious if the gender equality issues they were advocating for had advanced or backslid since we first reported on them. Today, we are coming back to Sabrina Habib, who was on our very first episode in 2021. Habib is the CEO and co-founder of Kidogo, a nonprofit focused on creating affordable high-quality daycare centers in Kenya. Since we last spoke with Habib, Kidogo has greatly expanded. Host Reena Ninan asks her what led to this growth and about her recent endeavors with Melinda French Gates. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part by the Gates Foundation and Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health and human services. Nutrition. Job programs. These are just a few of the sectors impacted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) cuts in Nigeria—one of the top 10 recipients of U.S. foreign aid. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced the elimination of 83 percent of USAID programs. On today’s episode, senior producer Laura Rosbrow-Telem talks to aid workers and direct recipients in Nigeria about the fallout of the cuts so far. After that, host Reena Ninan interviews two special guests about what can be done to address the funding gap. First, Ninan talks to Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, president and CEO of Population Action International (PAI). Since it launched more than 60 years ago, PAI has advocated for sexual and reproductive health care in the United States and abroad. Then, Ninan speaks with Michael Jarvis, executive director of the Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion Collaborative (TAI). TAI is a network of funders focused on strategic and systemic ways to do philanthropy, including the MacArthur and Ford Foundations, among others. Jarvis reveals what he thinks funders can and can’t do at this moment. Guests Interviewed: Edward Clement, BMG Foundation Yusufa Adamu / Aisha Madu, Fatima Orphanage Sani Salihu Mohammed, Health and Social Awareness Foundation (HASAF) Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, president and CEO of PAI Michael Jarvis, executive director of the Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion Collaborative The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part by the Gates Foundation and Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a special bonus, we're sharing an interview host Reena Ninan recorded with Preethi Herman about how to launch a digital campaign that actually changes policy. Herman led the Change.org Foundation, supporting 100 million people in campaigns worldwide. Currently, Herman is the CEO and co-founder of the Nguvu Collective, a women-led organization that has impacted more than 200 million lives. **Note: This interview took place before the U.S. foreign-aid freeze, which we will address more in coming episodes. Still, Herman’s advice about advocacy could not be more relevant. ***** If you want to share how the disruption of aid is impacting your life, please be in touch. It can be anonymous, if you prefer. You can reach us at podcasts@foreignpolicy.com. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part by the Gates Foundation and Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States has long been the largest aid donor in the world, accounting for about 40 percent of humanitarian assistance globally last year, according to the United Nations. But that is quickly changing.  Most U.S. foreign aid is currently on hold. Thousands of projects are at risk of elimination. And nearly all staff from the U.S. Agency for International Development are on administrative leave.  How did we get to this moment? And what has been the impact of the foreign aid freeze so far, including on women and girls?  In the newest season of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we are following the U.S. foreign aid news. In this first episode, you will hear a conversation we taped at Foreign Policy’s Emerging Threats Forum, an official side event of the Munich Security Conference, about the economic and security implications of halting overseas development assistance. Foreign Policy editor in chief Ravi Agrawal spoke with Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, the president and CEO of the One Campaign, and Umulkher (Umi) Harun Mohamed, a member of Kenya’s National Assembly. Their conversation focuses on Africa, which gets about 30 percent of U.S. foreign aid annually.  If you want to share how this disruption of aid is impacting your life, please be in touch. It can be anonymous, if you prefer. You can reach us at podcasts@foreignpolicy.com.  The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part by the Gates Foundation and Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, the final in our season focusing on the World Bank/IMF meetings this fall, we dive deep into the World Bank’s newly launched gender strategy. We will hear from two leaders driving this vision forward, as they explain why the Bank decided to prioritize some new goals.  First, host Reena Ninan speaks with Hana Brixi, Global Director for Gender at the World Bank, from the Atlantic Council’s pop-up studio in the IMF atrium. Then, Ninan talks to Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank. Bjerde oversees a portfolio of programs worth about $340 billion and is leading new Bank reforms to make it more efficient.  Guests and organizations:  Hana Brixi, Global Director for Gender at the World Bank Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part this season by the Gates Foundation, Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, and the Atlantic Council.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The number of people exposed to floods globally has surged by nearly 25 percent since 2000, with Africa experiencing the most dramatic increase. Floods this spring were especially brutal in East Africa, killing nearly 530 people and most heavily impacting Kenya. On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we analyze the relationship between climate and gender equality. Host Reena Ninan begins by hearing from Nairobi-based reporter Eunice Maina, who spoke with a family deeply impacted by the spring floods. They dig deeper into how these floods and climate change in general disproportionately affect women and children. Then, Ninan speaks with Tariye Gbadegesin, the CEO of the Climate Investment Funds. It is one of the world’s largest multilateral climate funds, and a significant portion of their work targets women and girls. We recorded this interview during the annual World Bank-International Monetary Fund meetings in October. Guests and organizations:  Eunice Maina, journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya. This is her fifth time reporting for HERO.  Tariye Gbadegesin, CEO, Climate Investment Funds The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part this season by the Gates Foundation, Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, and the Atlantic Council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As global public debt reaches historic highs, one of the key solutions is increasing the amount of funding for “concessional” loans—or ones with very good terms. That is where the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) comes in. According to the World Bank, the IDA is the world’s largest source of development finance for countries most in need. It provides low-income countries with grants and loans with little to no interest. Every three years, the IDA has to raise funds from its members: donor countries. Its final replenishment meeting, where it will announce how much money it is able to raise, will take place on Dec. 5 and 6 in Seoul. The stakes are high as this critical deadline looms. On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, host Reena Ninan speaks with two experts who care deeply about the IDA and financing for the world’s poorest countries. Ninan talks to Gargee Ghosh, president of global policy and advocacy for the Gates Foundation, and Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi, president and CEO of the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), at the Atlantic Council’s International Monetary Fund recording studio. They share their deep expertise about what really works in supporting women and girls, as well as reducing poverty. Guests and organizations:  Gargee Ghosh, president of global policy and advocacy for the Gates Foundation Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi, president and CEO of ACET The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part this season by the Gates Foundation, Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, and the Atlantic Council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of Kenyans protested against a finance bill in June that would have increased taxes on many everyday items. This was proposed in part to help pay off loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, which account for more than 40 percent of the country’s foreign debt. But what is Kenya’s current fiscal climate? And how are these debts impacting gender equality? On today’s episode of The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, host Reena Ninan talks with Nairobi-based reporter Sharon Kiburi, who has been following Kenya’s debt crisis. Kiburi tells Ninan about her interview with Wanjira Wanjiru, a protest leader against the June finance bill, co-founder of the Mathare Social Justice Centre in Nairobi, and co-host of the Liberating Minds podcast. Then, we hear from Diana Gichengo, the executive director of the Institute for Social Accountability (TISA). She discusses TISA’s efforts to engage with the IMF about their program in Kenya, which is largely expected to end in March. Gichengo spoke on a panel organized by Transparency International U.S. and moderated by the Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion (TAI) Collaborative on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank meetings in October. Guests and organizations:  Sharon Kiburi, journalist based in Nairobi. This is her second time reporting for HERO. Wanjira Wanjiru, co-founder of the Mathare Social Justice Centre and co-host of the Liberating Minds podcast Diana Gichengo, executive director of the Institute for Social Accountability in Kenya   The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part this season by the Gates Foundation, Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, and the Atlantic Council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is back for a very special seventh season. If you’re a longtime listener, you’ll know our show generally focuses on women from the global majority, or the global south. But this time, we wanted to cover the banks and institutions shaping global funding—particularly as the world faces an unprecedented amount of governmental debt. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global public debt is expected to top $100 trillion by the end of this year, its highest level ever. Many countries are facing painful choices about how to spend fewer resources, including on programs critical to women and girls. We recorded most of our interviews at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in late October, right before the U.S. presidential election. Here, financial leaders decide how to spend billions of dollars on top development priorities, such as poverty reduction, climate change, and gender equality. We’ll try to answer some big questions this season: How are countries and multilateral institutions grappling with so much government debt? What are they doing to prepare for the new U.S. administration? And how is all this impacting the fight for gender equality? For the season premiere, we wanted to start by looking at what has worked in the past. We talk to two incredible women who have both been finance ministers and leaders at multilateral institutions about how they have advanced women and girls economically. Guests and organizations:  Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank and the former head of the IMF Malado Kaba, the former head of gender at the African Development Bank and current managing director of Falémé Conseil First, host Reena Ninan speaks with Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, and former finance minister of France. She is the first woman ever to hold any of these roles. Lagarde was also named by Forbes as the No. 2 most powerful woman in the world last year. Special thanks to our media partner for this season, the Atlantic Council. They hosted Lagarde at an event during the IMF and World Bank meetings right before our interview. Then, Reena interviews Malado Kaba, the former director of the Gender, Women, and Civil Society Department of the African Development Bank. She was also the first ever female finance and economy minister for the Republic of Guinea. Kaba is currently the managing director of Falémé Conseil, a consultancy firm focused on African economic growth. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part this season by the Gates Foundation, Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, and the Atlantic Council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With global public debt reaching historic highs, how are multilateral institutions approaching gender equality? This season, launching November 19th, we talk to some of the biggest financial and development leaders about the long fight to support women and girls at the IMF/World Bank annual meetings. Host Reena Ninan's interviews include: Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank Malado Kaba, Former Head of Gender at the African Development Bank Gargee Ghosh, President of Global Policy and Advocacy at the Gates Foundation Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part by the Gates Foundation, Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, and the Atlantic Council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re ending this season with a special bonus episode recorded live from Foreign Policy’s Her Power Summit, which took place during the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. First, host Reena Ninan speaks to United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. Then you’ll hear a panel discussion on the role of data in advancing gender equality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we are closing out our special season on girls with inspiring stories about girl power. First, we go to Peru. Reporter Jimena Ledgard interviews Wendy Sulca, a former child pop star who is finding a new voice as an advocate. Then, host Reena Ninan speaks with Bogolo Kenewendo about how her childhood shaped her into the political leader she has become. Kenewendo is just in her late 30s and she is a special Advisor and Africa Director to the United Nations Climate Change High-Level Champions.  Finally, we are conducting a listener survey to better understand what you like about the podcast and what you’d like to hear next season. All participants in the survey who provide their email will be placed in a raffle to win a $100 Amazon gift card. To participate, follow this survey link. Thank you very much for your time and feedback. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/heropodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Education is one of the most important enablers of girl power all over the world. And in a lot of ways, girls’ education has improved. The percentage of girls in school is on the rise globally compared to two decades ago. But there are still significant gaps, particularly in areas with high levels of conflict.  On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, host Reena Ninan speaks with Julie Mwabe, the team lead at the global advocacy and public policy program at Global Partnership for Education. She leads efforts to mobilize political support at the highest levels for education, including from heads of state. They talk about the state of girls’ education and what the international community can do to close learning gaps, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. And a quick plug: Foreign Policy will host its annual Her Power summit on April 18th in Washington D.C. Host Reena Ninan will do two live interviews, including with the deputy secretary general of the UN, Amina J. Mohammed. If you would like to attend Her Power, you can email us at podcasts@foreignpolicy.com. Here's more information about the Her Power lineup: https://foreignpolicy.com/events/her-power-2024/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya, as it is in more than half of African countries. But public attitudes have begun to shift. According to Pew Research Center data from 2002, only 1 percent of Kenyan respondents said society should accept homosexuality. As of 2020, 14 percent believed homosexuality should be accepted. On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we follow the key people driving this change. Reporter Eunice Maina interviews women and nonbinary LGBTQ activists such as Marylize Biubwa, the co-founder of Queer Republic, and Ivy Werimba, a communications officer at Galck+, a coalition of 16 membership-based LGBTQ+ organizations from across Kenya. Then host Reena Ninan speaks with Eric Gitari, the co-founder of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in Kenya. His litigation has helped bring recent LGBTQ policy victories. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The battle against child marriage around the world seems to be gaining some traction. According to the latest UNICEF data, about 1 in 5 young women between the ages of 20 and 24 were married as children. This represents a 5 percent decrease from a decade ago.  The negative impact of child marriage is widely documented. Child brides suffer domestic violence more often, drop out of school in greater numbers, and are more likely to experience poverty. Curbing child marriage is a United Nations sustainable development goal. India accounts for some of the progress. While Indian girls still account for one-third of child brides in the world, the prevalence of child marriage there has declined about 7 percent in the past eight years. On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we’ll hear how India has been able to reduce its child marriage rates. First, host Reena Ninan revisits a conversation she had in Season 2 with Mabel van Oranje, the founder of Girls Not Brides and the global movement VOW for Girls.  Then, journalist Ayushi Shah reports on a girls’ support group organized by the Indian nonprofit Child Rights and You (CRY) in the village of Tondar—and specifically how members of the group help girls resist pressure from their families to marry young.  The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Family planning is one of the most economically important strategies for women and girls. Access to contraceptives can help women and girls get an education and participate in the workforce. Furthermore, it could reduce maternal deaths by as much as three-quarters, according to the United Nations Population Fund. But nearly 10 percent of women of childbearing age around the world have unmet contraceptive needs and teenage girls report less access to contraceptives than other age groups.  On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we look at the most effective ways to increase family planning services. First, reporter Elodie Toto travels to the West African country of Benin, which recently expanded abortion access. Then host Reena Ninan speaks with Dr. Samukeliso Dube, Executive Director of the global partnership FP2030. They work with governments, NGOs, civil society, and the private sector to mobilize investments in family planning. Program Note: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports this podcast, is one of the funders of FP2030.  The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices