Episode: 3 Part 2

Podcast Title: Power Of...  

Episode Title: Feminist Leadership Beyond Gender Binaries: Perspectives from Guyana – Part 2

Tune in to the Power Of…podcast, a series that dives into critical, thought-provoking, and contemporary content to drive gender equality and improve global health. Johanna Riha hosts this podcast and works at the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health in Malaysia, where she is passionate about seeing true transformation occur in these areas. 

While improving the representation of women in leadership roles is one important step toward institutionalising change towards gender equality and women’s empowerment in health, deep seated patriarchal norms mean we need more than gender parity, we need leadership that goes beyond gender binaries and authority, to responsibility grounded in feminist principles and values. In this mini-series, Johanna continues conversations with Kobe Smith on the power of feminist leadership. Kobe is a young, black Guyanese male leader, who has held various local, regional and international leadership positions. 

In the previous episode Kobe shared what feminist leadership means to him and insights from his roles in various leadership positions, highlighting the importance of leadership that champions responsibility, inclusivity, and representation for achieving gender equality and global health equity. 

In this episode, the conversation continues as Johanna asks Kobe how he remains grounded and focused staying true to feminist principles and values, given his different roles in positions of power and-decision making. Kobe explains that he continues to be motivated and inspired by personal relationships and experiences. For Kobe, feminist leadership is about being empathic to friends, family and others who may need care and support and being mindful how decisions may affect their lives. He also discusses the importance of finding meaning in work, but also prioritising self-care, which includes mental, physical and emotional dimensions of one’s wellbeing. As the episode concludes, Kobe discusses how we can do more for communities of people through feminist leadership if we consult and really try to understand the needs, the aspirations, the desires of the people we're trying to serve. He encourages as to ask, “When we sit down in rooms to craft policies and programs, are we engaging the youth? Are we engaging gender diverse people? Are we engaging persons who have health challenges? Why I say consult and engage - it really helps us to be more informed. And yes, consulting can take time. It can also take money. But it's better to consult than to take a decision that is not meaningful, that is not sustainable, that is not impactful.”  

This marks the end of the mini-series on the power of feminist leadership. If you haven’t already, listen to the first part of the conversation with Kobe and read Srilatha Batliwala’s think piece on feminist leadership – what it is and why it matters.  

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Kobe’s mother, who shaped him to become the leader he is today.  

Please keep liking, sharing, and subscribe! 

Links:

Download the Think Piece  

Visit our website  

Learn more about Johanna Riha   

Check out the Gender and Health Hub website...

Episode: 3 Part 1

Podcast Title: Power Of...  

Episode Title: Feminist Leadership Beyond Gender Binaries: Perspectives from Guyana – Part 1

Welcome to the Power Of…podcast, with host Johanna Riha. Working at the Gender and Health Hub at the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health in Malaysia, Johanna is passionate about stimulating critical, thought provoking, and contemporary conversations that aim to drive gender equality in global health. In the previous two episodes, we heard from Simone Hill, a lesbian activist and founder of PETAL, Promoting Empowerment Through Awareness for Lesbian and bisexual women in Belize, about her leadership journey and experiences. In the next two episodes, Johanna continues on the theme of the power of feminist leadership, countering the misconception that feminist leadership is solely about women’s leadership. 

In these episodes, Johanna speaks with Kobe Smith, a young male leader from Guyana who has held various local, regional and international leadership positions, including being the co-founder and Vice President of the Sustainable Youth Network in Guyana, Director of the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, and a member of Fos Feminista's Board of Directors, co-chairing its advocacy committee.   

To kick off the conversation, Johanna asks Kobe what feminist leadership means to him and how he feels about the label of feminist leadership. In response, Kobe highlights the importance of having these conversations with men and boys who may be working to advance health equity but might not view themselves as feminist leaders. Kobe shares that his journey as a feminist leader was motivated by personal experiences and in particular the loss of his mother to ovarian cancer due to insufficient and inadequate health services. This experience made him realise the devastating effects of social inequalities on one’s health. Since then, Kobe has actively worked towards addressing the unmet health needs of vulnerable populations, such as women, girls, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others. For Kobe, feminist leadership is informed by personal experiences, but also it is also about centering the lived experiences of those who have been marginalised, to ensure health for all. Kobe further explains that this is accomplished through collective action to develop responsive programmes and discusses the significance of providing flexible funding to grassroots organisations to ensure the delivery of essential services. 

As the conversation continues, Johanna asks about the challenges of deep rooted harmful social norms within organisations, including those working towards social justice, and how these may be overcome. In response, Kobe discusses that feminist organisations are not free from challenges, as all humans bring their own traumas into a space and may perpetuate the inequalities they aim to address. He stresses the responsibility of the organisation to ensure accountability and maintain high standards of conduct. As the episode concludes, Kobe further emphasizes the need for meaningful and non-tokenistic diversity and inclusion within leadership boards to better represent and serve the communities they aim to support. 

This episode is dedicated to Kobe’s mother. 

Look out for the next episode where Kobe will continue to share his story and discuss the importance of wellness and staying grounded when serving in positions of power.  

In the meantime please like, share, and subscribe! 

Links: Download the Think Piece  

Visit our website  

Learn more...

Episode: 2 Part 2 

Podcast Title: Power Of...  

Episode Title: Feminist Leadership Beyond Gender Binaries: Perspectives from Belize – Part 2

Welcome to the Power Of…, a production by the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH). In this collection of conversations, we dive into critical, thought-provoking, and contemporary content to stimulate debate and dialogue with the aim of driving gender equality in global health. Host, Johanna Riha, works at UNU-IIGH in Malaysia and is passionate that the bold commitments towards gender equality in health be met with commensurate action.

In this mini-series, Johanna focuses on the power of the feminist leadership and how this type of transformative leadership can be used to advance gender equality and health equity. In this episode, Johanne continues to speak with Simone Hill, founder of the organisation, Promoting Empowerment Through Awareness for Lesbian and Bisexual women (PETAL), in Belize.

Simone shares her experiences and the challenges she confronted, both in her personal life and those faced by PETAL, in efforts to advocate for the rights of lesbian and bisexual women in Belize. At the start of the episode, Simone candidly discusses the discrimination and difficulties she and her family encountered after publicly coming out as a member of the LGBT+ community on national television. However, she explains that her resilience, knowledge and previous achievements continue to motivate her to overcome challenges and work to fight ongoing discrimination.

As the conversation continues, Simone highlights the need to empower women through education, especially in light of challenges posed in the current climate of regression of women and LGBT+ rights, both within Belize and globally. As she contemplates these issues, she further discusses interconnecting issues around patriarchal power, trauma and the limits of gender parity in leadership, and emphasizes the importance of empathy, reflexivity and inclusivity to overcome these challenges at an individual and organizational level. Through this approach PETAL has achieved various successful outcomes including providing mental health support and legal assistance to lesbian and bisexual women in need.

The episode concludes with Simone discussing ongoing efforts of self-improvement and growth to advance the rights and well-being of lesbian and bisexual women in Belize, including pursuing higher education and studying law in Barbados to better serve her community. Simone is a trail-blazer and continuously looking to grow and better herself. Listen in to Part 1 of her story if you missed it.

In the next two episodes we’ll hear from Kobe Smith, a young male leader from Guyana as he shares how he understands and practices feminist leadership to improve health and wellbeing for women, girls and structurally marginalized populations in Guyana and globally.

In the meantime please like, share, and subscribe! 

Links: Download the Think Piece  

Visit our website  

Learn more about Johanna Riha   

Check out the Gender and Health Hub website  

Follow the UNU International Institute for Global Health on Twitter  

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