Feminist Podcasting, Oral Storytelling, and Counter-Public Spheres in Contemporary Africa

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 113–126

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001323

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Feminist Podcasting, Oral Storytelling, and Counter-Public Spheres in Contemporary Africa

Names of Author: Efia Boateng-Acheampong¹, Maya Deshmukh², & Chloe Tremblay³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Communication and Media Studies, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana; ²Department of Cultural Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India; ³Department of Communication, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Canada.

Abstract:
Digital audio platforms and independent podcasts have rapidly emerged as accessible, intimate spaces for feminist dialogue, sexual health education, and political critique across urban and diasporic African communities. Unlike tightly regulated state broadcasters or algorithmically volatile visual social media platforms, podcasting enables female hosts and listeners to engage in nuanced, long-form conversations about taboo subjects such as reproductive autonomy, marital expectations, mental health, and queer identity. This paper examines how independent feminist podcasts cultivate transnational counter-public spheres and intergenerational solidarity. Grounded in feminist media theory and African oral storytelling traditions, the study analyzes 45 episodes from prominent feminist podcasts produced in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa alongside listener focus groups. We argue that digital audio storytelling revitalizes indigenous traditions of communal female dialogue while fostering safe spaces for collective consciousness-raising.

Keywords: Feminist podcasting, oral storytelling, counter-public sphere, digital media, African feminism, consciousness-raising, Ghana, Kenya

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 22, 2026; Revised: September 22, 2026; Accepted: September 26, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Boateng-Acheampong, E., Deshmukh, M., & Tremblay, C. (2026). Feminist Podcasting, Oral Storytelling, and Counter-Public Spheres in Contemporary Africa. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 113–126. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001323

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