Womanica host Jenny Kaplan spoke with a special guest on the latest episode of her podcast — her mother, U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning — as part of iHeartRadio’s Women Take The Mic initiative on International Women’s Day (Friday, March 8).
Manning, one of 151 women in Congress (28.2 percent), serves North Carolina’s sixth district in the U.S. House of Representatives. The mother-daughter duo opened the new episode of Womanica by speaking on Manning’s thoughts on gender inequality and how she believes she’s better served her constituents based on her experience as a woman. Manning explained that as a mother of three, as a woman who has used multiple methods of contraceptives and has had genetic testing, she is able to understand women’s health and reproductive issues “because I've lived through them.”
“Often when you study history, at least when I was growing up, the heroes that you hear about, the leaders that you learn about are all men,” Manning noted later in her conversation with Kaplan. “You might think that it's only been in recent history that women have done noteworthy things, but when you take the time to actually study the impact women have had on history in every facet of our lives, from science and medicine to the arts and culture and health care, women have had a critical impact of all facets of life from all around the world for literally thousands of years.
“So often, girls say that they can only envision themselves in a certain career path if they see someone who looks like them in that job,” Manning noted, applauding her daughter’s podcast. “By portraying the incredible things that women have done throughout history with your podcast, you allow girls to see themselves in a whole variety of jobs, careers, life choices that they might not otherwise see.”
Kaplan, who is spotlighting Women of Sound this month, went on to spotlight the episode’s Womanican: Mary “Dee” Dudley (1912-1964). Dudley was the first Black female disc jockey in the country, Womanica notes in the latest podcast description. Dudley is redited with pioneering a new way for radio to blend news, music and more, and forever changing the course of radio for the personalities listeners hear today.
Kaplan created Womanica with her sister, Liz Kaplan. The show posts a new episode every week day.
iHeartRadio is spotlighting 10 podcasts as part of the Women Take The Mic initiative on International Women's Day. Other podcasts to listen to include Chiquis and Chill, Dear Chelsea, Angela Yee’s Lip Service, The Psychology of your 20’s, Reasonably Shady, Therapy for Black Girls, Very Special Episodes, There Are No Girls on the Internet and The Nikki Glaser Podcast.
iHeartRadio is also celebrating many of your favorite podcasts during the 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards presented by The Hartford. The iHeartPodcast Awards will take place live from SXSW on Monday (March 11). See the full list of nominees here. Fans can tune in to watch this year's iHeartPodcast Awards via a video stream in partnership with YouTube on iHeartRadio's YouTube channel at 9pmET/8pm CT The event will then be available on demand following the initial livestream. The ceremony will also be broadcast live on select iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide, and through the iHeartRadio app.