As International Women’s Day approaches on Saturday 8 March, here are two podcasts you might enjoy on the day.
Behind the Beat
Behind The Beat pulls back the curtain on one of the most dynamic and elusive industries, offering insider career insights and real-life experiences from people in music with a focus on women in music – from production and DJing to marketing and artist management.
From This Is Distorted, which works with some of the biggest dance music artists, reaching over 500 radio stations globally.
Behind The Beat taps into this network to amplify female voices and share practical, actionable advice for breaking into the industry. It features in-depths conversations with DJ and host of BBC Future Sounds Sarah Story, KISS FM content director Rebecca Frank and Jasmine Igoe, artist manager at Three Six Zero.
The podcast highlights the challenges women face, the progress being made, and the opportunities available for those looking to break in.
For International Women’s Day, this podcast is the perfect choice to inspire and empower the next generation of women in electronic music. From breaking into DJing to understanding the role of A&R, Behind The Beat is an essential listen for anyone passionate about music and equality in the industry.
The Hackney & Newham History Social Club
At its heart, The Hackney & Newham History Social Club podcast is a celebration of resilience, community, and the untold stories of women who shaped modern East London.
Hosted by Sue Elliott-Nicholls and produced by documentary maker Tamsin Hughes, this documentary-style podcast captures the personal histories of women whose voices might otherwise be lost – women who built businesses, defied expectations, and held their families together through times of immense change.
This podcast is more than a collection of stories; it’s a love letter to East London’s past and present. Through beautifully crafted soundscapes and deeply personal interviews. It features:
- Kooi Chock, a Malaysian-born nurse who moved to East London in the 1970s and secretly married for love, defying her family’s expectations
- Judy Frumin, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, who embarks on an emotional journey to uncover her grandmother’s hidden past
- Charmaine, Bianca, and Laverne, daughters of Wenty Newland, who took his mobile fruit and veg business and turned it into a thriving community institution
- Charoula, a young woman who found empowerment in Hackney’s male dominated clothing factories, using her wages to build a life and express herself through fashion
With themes of family, migration, love, entrepreneurship, and survival, this podcast challenges stereotypes of the East End and highlights the matriarchs who held these communities together.
Their stories of hard work, cultural preservation, and quiet rebellion make The Hackney & Newham History Social Club podcast a perfect feature for International Women’s Day, ensuring these voices are heard, remembered, and celebrated.
