How I'm using podcasts to drive a discussion about feminism in Myanmar
I want to see a world where people are criticized for their bad behavior, not for their gender and sexual orientation, says Myanmar podcaster and feminist activist Nandar.
Takeaways
Nandar says the role of a feminist activist is not only to challenge traditional thinking but also present solutions.
As there is no existing mass podcast audience in Myanmar, Nandar is trying to popularize podcasting as a platform to engage with the world.
Let go of the idea of perfection. Just do it in your way and own it.
Remember who your audience is and make the content as simple as possible to make a positive impact.
Nandar just made the BBC 100 Women 2020 list
“A journalist who attended Splice Beta reached out to me after my talks and I was nominated for it. All thanks to you for inviting me to the event”
Context
Decades of internal strife in Myanmar have pushed the rights movement into a precarious corner. Writing and speaking up about social causes could put one’s life at risk.
The word ‘feminism’ is still a taboo in this country. On Splice Beta Online, podcaster and feminist activist Nandar spoke about her journey of using podcasts to amplify the voices of women and girls in Myanmar with the hope of changing they way society talks about feminism.
Nandar’s journey
Nandar is a 25-year-old feminist activist who grew up in a conservative farming village in northern Shan state.
Her father passed away in her teens after he collapsed from an epileptic seizure. Her mother, who was having her period, refused to touch him for fear that it would make the seizure worse. It was a wake-up call for Nandar and she started to question gender taboos from then on.
In 2017, Nandar translated Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Why We Should All Be Feminists into Burmese. Translating and publishing a feminist book helped her setting a goal and gaining confidence. She recalls this experience as the first professional turning point as a feminist activist.
From 2018 until today, she has been producing The Vagina Monologues in Myanmar with a group of friends from the UK and the U.S. The program raised critical questions and awareness on misogyny and gender stereotypes while receiving nation-wide support and angry reactions.
She started a feminist organization called Purple Feminists Group to promote feminist literature, challenge mainstream taboos, amplify women and girls’ voices, and to raise awareness of gender-based violence.
In August 2019, Nandar launched the country’s first feminist podcast Feminist Talks with Nandar to share her daily struggle as a feminist. So far, she has produced three episodes on love, women's body, and media.
It took her four months to produce her first episode. She spent her time watching YouTube how-to videos and learned how to do it herself.
She has been exposed to online and physical intimidation because of her work and that’s led to panic attacks.
Nandar has been inspired by her podcast interviewees and motivated by her belief for a just and equal world. Her ultimate goal is to make people understand that gender discrimination can end if we all participate in ending it.
“It was a very long and slow process of building podcasts for me especially because there was no example in Myanmar.”
— Nandar
How to start a podcast
Just do it. Don’t try to be perfect. Start with what you have.
Keep pitching your podcast idea to people around you. Don’t keep it a secret.
Learn tips and tools from YouTube, Skillshare, Anchor.
It’s okay to go slow. Be patient.
Building a mission-focused media startup
When we are creating something, we shouldn’t worry too much about what other people might think.
Avoid reading negative comments.
Storytelling is a powerful tool to start a conversation around traditional taboos.
Support each other and give each other a platform.
Find out more about Nandar on Splice
This 25-year-old podcaster is Myanmar’s leading voice for gender equality
Nandar just made the BBC 100 Women 2020 list
November 24
"A journalist who attended Splice Beta reached out to me after my talks and I was nominated for it. All thanks to you for inviting me to the event"