The Feminist Bar Podcast 🍸

Identity, Belonging, Diaspora & Everything in Between

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.
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Creating in the Age of Backlash—Art, Feminist Content & Education in a Hostile Digital Era

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.
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Reflections, Self-Care & The Right to Sex

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.
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A Feminist & An Accountant talk Money, Society and Spending

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.
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Solidarity Under Fire: Resisting Division, Co-optation & Burnout in Movements

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.
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season break is over bby...

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.

Feminist Histories & Storytelling with Bella Matambanadzo

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
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Activism, Mobilizing & Online Performances - Movements in the Social Media Age

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!

2 Doctors and a Feminist on Sexual Pleasure and Medicine

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.
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Tune in to learn, unlearn, and rethink pleasure!

happy 100th episode to The Feminist Bar !!!

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.