Five Seasons Strong: How Feminism NOW Is Changing the Conversation

Driving Lasting Change Through Podcast Conversations

Women's History Month is a moment to pause and take stock of the progress women have made and the work that remains. But at Voxtopica, we've always held that amplifying women's voices can't be a once-a-year commitment. It has to be woven into everything we do, 365 days a year.

That conviction is at the heart of our partnership with the National Organization for Women and the podcast we've built together: Feminism NOW, now entering its fifth season.

When we first teamed up with NOW, the goal was straightforward but ambitious: create a podcast worthy of one of the most influential feminist organizations in American history. We worked together to shape the editorial strategy, define the audience, and build a format that could carry the full weight of the issues NOW has championed for decades. What started as a strategic communications project became something much bigger. Today, Feminism NOW is a platform for the kind of conversation that informs, challenges, and moves people to act.

When we first teamed up with NOW, the goal was straightforward but ambitious: create a podcast worthy of one of the most influential feminist organizations in American history. We worked together to shape the editorial strategy, define the audience, and build a format that could carry the full weight of the issues NOW has championed for decades. What started as a strategic communications project became something much bigger. Today, Feminism NOW is a platform for the kind of conversation that informs, challenges, and moves people to act.

And the numbers tell a story. In 2025 alone, the share of listeners under 35 jumped from 35% to 62%. The male audience doubled. For a movement built on expanding participation, metrics reflect the momentum needed to grow a powerful grassroots movement. 

Season 5 takes that momentum in a new direction. Under NOW's new national leadership, the podcast is pulling back the curtain on the grassroots organizing that drives the feminist movement at the local level. New segments feature chapter presidents from across the country, sharing the advocacy, policy work, and community leadership that rarely make headlines but create real, lasting change.

The guest lineup this season reflects how broad and urgent the modern feminist movement really is. From conversations with the Chapter President of Minnesota NOW about ICE to discussions on feminism in the digital age with Blair Imani, Feminism NOW offers the kind of in-depth dialogue that a 90-second news segment simply can’t provide.

NOW National President Kim Villanueva puts it plainly:

"Through our Feminism NOW podcast, we're not just reacting to headlines. We're providing context, analysis, and calls to action rooted in NOW's long-standing commitment to equality, reproductive freedom, economic justice, and the end of violence against women. In a media environment dominated by soundbites and misinformation, controlling our platform matters. Podcasting gives NOW narrative power. And narrative power shapes culture, which ultimately shapes policy and improves women's lives."

NOW National Vice President Rose Brunache adds another dimension worth sitting with:

"In a country where women comprise only 25% of overall news coverage, Feminism NOW allows for longform conversations about the issues most impacting about half of the US population. The podcast also provides on-the-ground reports from NOW's chapters about their advocacy, inspiring listeners to take action."

That's exactly why podcasting has become such a powerful tool for advocacy. It gives organizations the space to speak directly to their audiences, to provide history and context, and to have the conversations that get flattened into nothing when filtered through traditional media.

Feminism NOW is proof of what's possible when a mission-driven organization invests in its own platform. Audiences grow. New listeners find their way in. And the conversation gets deeper, richer, and more real.

Women's History Month may shine a temporary spotlight on these issues. But the work, and this podcast, keep going long after March ends.

We're proud to be part of it. Season 5 is something special. Don’t miss the latest episode of Feminism NOW with researcher Cynthia Miller-Idriss, who joins for a timely conversation about the online “manosphere” and what it means for women, democracy, and digital culture. Tune in on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.